The Characteristics

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Recommended: Gender roles for women in Shakespeare plays

The dynamics between men and women are a highly studied mystery in society. The power of female persuasion and influence is even more so. In world of Shakespeare, women of influence were rare. Thus, the relationship between Isabella and Angelo in Measure for Measure is one to look at closely. Throughout the play but specifically in Scenes 2, 3 & 4, Angelo exemplifies male anxiety through the characteristics of jealousy, weakness, anger/bitterness and desire toward Isabella in Measure for Measure and tries to take back control in this female/male sexual dynamic by using his power against her.

The first characteristic that Angelo exemplifies anxiety through is jealousy. Angelo shows jealousy toward Isabella as her innocence alone, pulls him into temptation. He is smitten, but she is not. This creates feelings of jealousy as he lacks the power to entice her that she does on him. In addition, this jealousy is also rooted in the fact that he lacks the willpower that Isabella has to engage in self control with sexual desires. An example of this dynamic is revealed in the beginning of Angelo’s interaction with Isabella as his logic begins to blend with her own. It is revealed through his line, “She speaks, and ‘tis / Such sense that my sense breeds with it…” (2.2.141-142). He recognizes that they both seek purity and uprightness; however, Isabella has the will to attain and he realizes that he does not and is jealous. He also admits to this jealous in a discourse within himself, stating,
“How often dost thou with thy case, thy habit
Wrench awe from fools, and tie the wiser souls
To thy false seeming! Blood, thou art blood”
(2.4.13-15)
Through this self reflection, he sees the way his thought patterns have gone to Isabella a...

... middle of paper ...

... as a leader and how Isabella has put in hopelessly and involuntarily in the path leading to a life of sin and becomes anxious. Through his weakness, he sees his weakness sexually to the innocence and uprightness of Isabella and subcombs to it, again producing anxiety in him as he sees that he has no power to stop it. Through his bitterness, he again recognizes his corruption and embraces, attempting to manipulate Isabella’s life situation (an exemplification of bitterness), thus causing more anxiety. And Finally, through his desire, the root of the other characteristics, he sees that his sin is overcoming and that he can’t control it so he decides to pursue fully, even to the point of vehemently persuading Isabella to satisfy those desires. Implications of such actions in a man show how having a female presence can cause anxiety and intimidation for men in general.

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