Isabella
The main character, Isabella, is a
very virtuous and chaste young woman who faces a difficult decision when her
brother is sentenced to death for fornication (unlawful sex). Isabella does not
approve of her brother's actions at all, but she pleads for his life out of
loyalty and sisterly devotion. Isabella is a spiritual person who starts off
wanting to become a nun.
The other central figure is the
Duke, who spends most of his time dressed as a friar in order to observe what
is happening in his absence. The Duke is unfailingly virtuous, good, and
kind-hearted. He tends to rule a little softly, which is why he enlists
Angelo's help.
Isabella's brother Claudio is
a young man sentenced to death for impregnating an unmarried woman. He was
engaged to her by a common-law agreement, but they had sexual intercourse
before the legal marriage took place. Claudio depends less on the guidance of
laws and religious practices than on his sister.
Angelo is the villain of the play, a
man who rules strictly and without mercy. He has his own weaknesses, however,
and he is loathsome more for his hypocrisy than for anything else. He presents
Isabella with a difficult proposition and then does not even hold up his end of
the bargain.
Escalus is a wise lord who
advises Angelo to be more merciful. He is loyal to the Duke and seeks to carry
out his orders justly, but cannot go against Angelo's will.
Lucio, described by Shakespeare as a
"fantastic," is a flamboyant bachelor who provides much of the play's
comedic content. He is a friend of Claudio's and tries to help him.
Mariana was supposed to marry
Angelo, but he called the wedding off when she lost her dowry in a shipwreck
that killed her brother.
Mistress Overdone runs a brothel in
Vienna.
Pompey is a clown who also works for
Mistress Overdone.
The provost runs the prison
and is responsible for carrying out all of Angelo's orders.
Elbow is a dim-witted constable who arrests
people for misconduct, particularly of the sexual variety. He speaks in
malapropisms and provides comic-relief throughout the play.
A long-term prisoner in the jail,
Barnadine is sentenced to be executed together with Claudio. The Duke
originally considers him hopeless and therefore dispensable but later changes
his mind.
Claudio's lover, she is
pregnant with his baby.
No comments:
Post a Comment