From
the start, I knew I was going to hate Lord Angelo. My suspicions were rewarded when I
began reading Measure for Measure. Usually,
I don’t love or hate characters in books, plays or novels, but I’m stuck hating Angelo. I just
want to take his big dummy head and squish it. I mean, come on, why does he
think it’s remotely okay to execute a man whose girlfriend is about to have a
baby? Does Angelo really think Isabella is going to hop in bed with him to save
Claudio’s life when Angelo is condemning Claudio for the act he is asking
Isabella to participate in?
The
arrogance! The conceit! I just can’t take it. I haven’t despised a character
this much ever. Angelo has a firm place on my literary hit list along with Don
John from Much Ado About Nothing.
Angelo reminds of an unemotional, stoic and arrogant man who cares only to maintain
his reputation and instill fear in the people. He thinks with his head, not his
heart.
When
Isabella meets Angelo for the first time, it is not his heart but, ahem, other senses,
that desire to take her for his own. I don’t believe him when he says in Act 2,
Scene 4, line 152, that he loves Isabella. Angelo is just using that to get
into her dress. I love the fact Isabella rejects him and can’t believe Angelo
would ask such a thing of her. For the longest time, she had no idea what he
was talking about with his innuendos.
This
being said, I think Lord Angelo and Isabella are foil characters. While he is
merciless, cruel and stoic, she is virtuous, caring and loyal. Though Isabella
does not condone what Claudio did, she still intercedes on her brother’s behalf
to save him. Angelo has a hard-fist and stands firmly in the decisions he makes
whether or not they are moral. He doesn't consider the reverberations or
consequences clearly.
Angelo
sees Claudio’s execution as the beginning to a new reign in the state, where
before the people ignored the laws. He wants to put fear back into the crowd to
stop the unclean and improper lifestyles that have arisen over time. He chooses
Claudio to make an example of him so others will stop or not attempt what put
Claudio in prison. I find Angelo’s reasoning to be faulty and undignified.
I agree with Isabella when she told Angelo to
punish Claudio for the sin, not the deed. Why should Claudio lose his life when
he can spend the rest of it atoning for what he did? Is that not punishment
enough? But I doubt Lord Angelo will change his mind as the play continues. He
is a jerk and so a jerk he shall remain, unless, by the grace of God, he is a
dynamic character. I find that to be highly unlikely though.
Well, I don't know how you were able to figure out that you would hate Angelo before you "met" him, but I agree that he's an easy character to dislike. When we look back at Faustus, I think many of us wouldn't want to be best friends with him, but we were able to sympathize with him. However, Angelo is perfectly described by your blogpost title. A prick. I pictured him as some snobbish, private school boy pushing other kids down in the hallways and making snarky remarks. He goes about punishing people and doing negative things, and the snickers and says, it's not me. It's the law. He is nothing more than a bully. I do wonder what he was like before this power came to him. A lot of people turn sick and manipulative only after receiving power they've never had before. Power hungry people turn into satisfied, full beasts ready to torment the innocent.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that I'm ready to declare my hate for Angelo, because I want to know more about his past. Why was he so eager for that power and why is he throwing it away by abusing it by hurting other people for no good reason? Why is he making threats and asking for ridiculous favors to save Claudio from a punishment that is absurd in the first place. What is he trying to hide behind his threats and speeches?
Yeah, Angelo really sucks. However, I think a good reason for Angelo's existence is so we can compare his style of leadership to that of the Duke's and see which one is more effective. Obviously neither way works because they are both terrible leaders, but the play at least asks the question "is it better to lead by fear or let your people step on you?" I see Angelo and the Duke as two extremes, but you're totally right that he's not too cool.
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