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| Isabella by Francis William Topham (1888) |
William Shakespeare
c. 1603-04
4/5 stars
Antonio, left in charge by the Duke of Vienna, resurrects an old law that makes fornication punishible by death, and arrests Claudio under said law. Claudio's sister, Isabella (a novice nun), comes to Antonio to plead for her brother's life. Antonio becomes obsessed with her, and offers her Claudio's life for her virginity.
This play discusses corrupt government, attitudes toward sex and morality, and mercy versus judgement. Antonio has an excellent soliloquy in which he turns from an upright man into a man consumed with lust. The ending makes everything come right, but leaves the viewer wondering if it is really a happy ending.
Read for the Classics Club.
