But sex today seems quite different than it would be back then (other than you know…the basic stuff). From what I remember from some history class of the past, there wasn't a reliable form of contraception until the 20th century…and unless it's a myth, people back then could only hope to use lemon wedges and dung (is that seriously true?).
Aaaaaanywaaaay…
When considering Isabella’s situation, we need to remember that her situation doesn't exactly consist of the “one night stand” we are familiar with today. If allowing some predatory man put his sweaty self on her wasn't bad enough, she'd have to deal with the after effects of her time with him.
Isabella wouldn't just have to deal with shame, she'd have to deal with the result of that shame: a child.
How on earth would Isabella be a nun then?
How would the child live? With no father? Or worse, with Angelo as a father, but a mother who is shamed.
This is why I'm shocked at the selfishness of Claudio.
He's not asking his sister to just deal with a five minute nasty-fest (an act that can cause psychological pain in itself), but the possibility of having a child with a man who has no intention of keeping her around when he is done with her.
He would be asking her to carry the child of her rapist (if the idea of “rape” resembled our idea of it today), which could result in the literal ending of her life.
In fact, Claudio seems different from any honorable man we are used to seeing. Which leads me to ask…is he a protagonist at all? He is the man who is supposedly wronged, but does he do anything to redeem himself in our eyes? Is Juliet ever going to come back in the story? Isn't she pregnant? You'd think that'd be a pretty big plot point!
Oh, sex. Sex started this madness, and has been advancing the plot ever since. Will sex finish the plot? Will sex (or moreover lust) finish Angelo? What will become of Claudio, our not-so-white-night?
Will Isabella remain the heroine we see her to be?
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Maybe I'm naive but I'm hoping that Claudio would have stepped up as a brother to help Isabella out with her baby. Sure, they don't have the greatest relationship. But I think as a "thank you" to his sister, Claudio could have taken care of her.
ReplyDeletePlus, I don't think Isabella needs a husband to care for her. She's pretty independent and very dedicated to her values. I mean, she was going to become a nun. That takes a lot of fortitude to follow through with. I think she would have been able to deal with a child out of wedlock, a crappy reputation, and maybe even the trauma of losing her virginity to Angelo.
I think this play is splattered with anti-heroes, so I'm having a hard time finding a set protagonist. I also felt like this play lacked a ton of character and plot development that we otherwise would have seen in a novel. Crossing my fingers for a re-telling hitting the shelves!
Perhaps we could make a fan theory connecting Isabella and Hestor from The Scarlet Letter!
DeleteJulia, I think you bring up a very valid point in questioning what would happen to Isabella following her sexual encounter with Angelo. I don't feel that Claudio considers this - or at least, he values his life more than his sister's: Her quality of life would likely be completely turned upside down if she followed through with Angelo's request in order to save her brother's life. I don't think there is an easy answer to this, and certainly there is a lot to consider.
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