In Act 5 Scene 1 of Measure for Measure, I found the moment when Isabella kneels and pleads for Angelo’s life to be not only beautiful, but also particularly revealing of her character’s growth and development throughout the play.  In begging the Duke to pardon Angelo, I strongly believe that she was implicitly pardoning her own internal desires that never quite manifested themselves.  Although Isabella was originally planning on becoming a nun, we see throughout the play that she has exhibited a sense of sexual curiosity and feminine power that she may or may not be aware of. I would argue that by the play’s end, in the segment where she is shown kneeling, Isabella has become aware of not only her power over the men around her, but also the power of the human psyche and how it is often difficult to control.  She says, “For Angelo,/ His act did not o’ertake his bad intent,/ An must be buried but as an intent/ That perished by the way. Thoughts are no subjects,/ Intents but merely thoughts” (5.1, 453-458).  At this point, she senses that it is in our nature as human beings to think unclean thoughts; the text suggests that she may be forgiving herself for any such thoughts she has had in the past, for she herself did not yield to them. It becomes evident through these actions that Isabella will not be returning to the convent.  Her posture in this scene is highly religious, but rather than choosing to dedicate her life to God, Isabella has found peace in knowing that one can assert control over their actions and still manage to live a virtuous life, even if his or her thoughts aren’t necessarily pure.

The irony in all of this is that just as Isabella has this epiphany and is essentially granted free will, the Duke proposes to her.  Although the audience doesn’t hear her response, we are likely to assume that she agrees to the marriage because the Duke saved Claudio.  With this, her freedom of choice is revoked. This makes the play seem rather tragic in my eyes because just as Isabella is beginning to recognize her power and how it can free her mind, she becomes trapped within the confines of marriage.  And even if she rejects the Duke, it is probable that she will be shamed back to the nunnery, resulting in a Catch 22 of sorts.  In either instance, Isabella’s potential to become a powerful member of society has been hindered by the men around her.  With this being said, I cannot help but  begin to wonder if Shakespeare himself was a bit of a feminist through his portrayal of women in plays such as Measure for Measure.