Angelo tells Isabella that only if she sleeps with him will he set Claudio free; if she refuses, Claudio will be tortured to death. Isabella is certain that Claudio would not want her to commit a mortal sin. She therefore sets off to prepare him for his death.
Enter Angelo.
ANGELO 1008When I would pray and think, I think and pray 1009To several subjects. Heaven hath my empty words, 1010Whilst my invention, hearing not my tongue, 1011Anchors on Isabel. ⌜God⌝ in my mouth, 10125As if I did but only chew His name, 1013And in my heart the strong and swelling evil 1014Of my conception. The state whereon I studied 1015Is, like a good thing being often read, 1016Grown ⌜sere⌝ and tedious. Yea, my gravity, 101710Wherein—let no man hear me—I take pride, 1018Could I with boot change for an idle plume 1019Which the air beats for vain. O place, O form, 1020How often dost thou with thy case, thy habit, 1021Wrench awe from fools, and tie the wiser souls 102215To thy false seeming! Blood, thou art blood. 1023Let’s write “good angel” on the devil’s horn. 1024’Tis not the devil’s crest.⌜Knock within.⌝ How now, 1025who’s there?
Enter Servant.
SERVANT 1026One Isabel, a sister, desires access to you. ANGELO 102720Teach her the way.⌜Servant exits.⌝ O heavens, 1028Why does my blood thus muster to my heart, 1029Making both it unable for itself 1030And dispossessing all my other parts 1031Of necessary fitness? 103225So play the foolish throngs with one that swoons, 1033Come all to help him, and so stop the air 1034By which he should revive. And even so 1035The general subject to a well-wished king
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1036Quit their own part, and in obsequious fondness 103730Crowd to his presence, where their untaught love 1038Must needs appear offense.
Enter Isabella.
1039How now, fair maid? ISABELLA1040
I am come to know your pleasure. ANGELO 1041That you might know it would much better please me 104235Than to demand what ’tis. Your brother cannot live. ISABELLA1043
Even so. Heaven keep your Honor. ANGELO 1044Yet may he live a while. And it may be 1045As long as you or I. Yet he must die. ISABELLA1046
Under your sentence? ANGELO104740Yea. ISABELLA 1048When, I beseech you? That in his reprieve, 1049Longer or shorter, he may be so fitted 1050That his soul sicken not. ANGELO 1051Ha! Fie, these filthy vices! It were as good 105245To pardon him that hath from nature stolen 1053A man already made, as to remit 1054Their saucy sweetness that do coin ⌜God’s⌝ image 1055In stamps that are forbid. ’Tis all as easy 1056Falsely to take away a life true made 105750As to put metal in restrainèd means 1058To make a false one. ISABELLA 1059’Tis set down so in heaven, but not in Earth. ANGELO 1060Say you so? Then I shall pose you quickly: 1061Which had you rather, that the most just law 106255Now took your brother’s life, ⌜or,⌝ to redeem him,
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1063Give up your body to such sweet uncleanness 1064As she that he hath stained? ISABELLA1065Sir, believe this: 1066I had rather give my body than my soul. ANGELO 106760I talk not of your soul. Our compelled sins 1068Stand more for number than for accompt. ISABELLA1069
How say you? ANGELO 1070Nay, I’ll not warrant that, for I can speak 1071Against the thing I say. Answer to this: 107265I, now the voice of the recorded law, 1073Pronounce a sentence on your brother’s life. 1074Might there not be a charity in sin 1075To save this brother’s life? ISABELLA1076Please you to do ’t, 107770I’ll take it as a peril to my soul, 1078It is no sin at all, but charity. ANGELO 1079Pleased you to do ’t, at peril of your soul, 1080Were equal poise of sin and charity. ISABELLA 1081That I do beg his life, if it be sin 108275Heaven let me bear it. You granting of my suit, 1083If that be sin, I’ll make it my morn prayer 1084To have it added to the faults of mine 1085And nothing of your answer. ANGELO1086Nay, but hear me. 108780Your sense pursues not mine. Either you are 1088ignorant, 1089Or seem so, crafty, and that’s not good. ISABELLA 1090Let ⌜me⌝ be ignorant and in nothing good, 1091But graciously to know I am no better. ANGELO 109285Thus wisdom wishes to appear most bright
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1093When it doth tax itself, as these black masks 1094Proclaim an enshield beauty ten times louder 1095Than beauty could, displayed. But mark me. 1096To be receivèd plain, I’ll speak more gross: 109790Your brother is to die. ISABELLA1098
So. ANGELO 1099And his offense is so, as it appears, 1100Accountant to the law upon that pain. ISABELLA1101
True. ANGELO 110295Admit no other way to save his life— 1103As I subscribe not that, nor any other— 1104But, in the loss of question, that you, his sister, 1105Finding yourself desired of such a person 1106Whose credit with the judge, or own great place, 1107100Could fetch your brother from the manacles 1108Of the all-⌜binding⌝ law, and that there were 1109No earthly mean to save him but that either 1110You must lay down the treasures of your body 1111To this supposed, or else to let him suffer, 1112105What would you do? ISABELLA 1113As much for my poor brother as myself. 1114That is, were I under the terms of death, 1115Th’ impression of keen whips I’d wear as rubies 1116And strip myself to death as to a bed 1117110That longing have been sick for, ere I’d yield 1118My body up to shame. ANGELO1119
Then must your brother die. ISABELLA1120
And ’twere the cheaper way. 1121Better it were a brother died at once 1122115Than that a sister, by redeeming him, 1123Should die forever. ANGELO 1124Were not you then as cruel as the sentence 1125That you have slandered so?
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ISABELLA 1126Ignomy in ransom and free pardon 1127120Are of two houses. Lawful mercy 1128Is nothing kin to foul redemption. ANGELO 1129You seemed of late to make the law a tyrant, 1130And rather proved the sliding of your brother 1131A merriment than a vice. ISABELLA 1132125O, pardon me, my lord. It oft falls out, 1133To have what we would have, we speak not what we 1134mean. 1135I something do excuse the thing I hate 1136For his advantage that I dearly love. ANGELO 1137130We are all frail. ISABELLA1138Else let my brother die, 1139If not a fedary but only he 1140Owe and succeed thy weakness. ANGELO1141
Nay, women are frail too. ISABELLA 1142135Ay, as the glasses where they view themselves, 1143Which are as easy broke as they make forms. 1144Women—help, heaven—men their creation mar 1145In profiting by them. Nay, call us ten times frail, 1146For we are soft as our complexions are, 1147140And credulous to false prints. ANGELO1148I think it well. 1149And from this testimony of your own sex, 1150Since I suppose we are made to be no stronger 1151Than faults may shake our frames, let me be bold. 1152145I do arrest your words. Be that you are— 1153That is, a woman. If you be more, you’re none. 1154If you be one, as you are well expressed 1155By all external warrants, show it now 1156By putting on the destined livery.
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ISABELLA 1157150I have no tongue but one. Gentle my lord, 1158Let me entreat you speak the former language. ANGELO1159
Plainly conceive I love you. ISABELLA1160
My brother did love Juliet, 1161And you tell me that he shall die for ’t. ANGELO 1162155He shall not, Isabel, if you give me love. ISABELLA 1163I know your virtue hath a license in ’t 1164Which seems a little fouler than it is 1165To pluck on others. ANGELO1166Believe me, on mine honor, 1167160My words express my purpose. ISABELLA 1168Ha! Little honor to be much believed, 1169And most pernicious purpose. Seeming, seeming! 1170I will proclaim thee, Angelo, look for ’t. 1171Sign me a present pardon for my brother 1172165Or with an outstretched throat I’ll tell the world 1173aloud 1174What man thou art. ANGELO1175Who will believe thee, Isabel? 1176My unsoiled name, th’ austereness of my life, 1177170My vouch against you, and my place i’ th’ state 1178Will so your accusation overweigh 1179That you shall stifle in your own report 1180And smell of calumny. I have begun, 1181And now I give my sensual race the rein. 1182175Fit thy consent to my sharp appetite; 1183Lay by all nicety and prolixious blushes 1184That banish what they sue for. Redeem thy brother 1185By yielding up thy body to my will, 1186Or else he must not only die the death, 1187180But thy unkindness shall his death draw out 1188To ling’ring sufferance. Answer me tomorrow,
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1189Or by the affection that now guides me most, 1190I’ll prove a tyrant to him. As for you, 1191Say what you can, my false o’erweighs your true. He exits. ISABELLA 1192185To whom should I complain? Did I tell this, 1193Who would believe me? O, perilous mouths, 1194That bear in them one and the selfsame tongue, 1195Either of condemnation or approof, 1196Bidding the law make curtsy to their will, 1197190Hooking both right and wrong to th’ appetite, 1198To follow as it draws. I’ll to my brother. 1199Though he hath fall’n by prompture of the blood, 1200Yet hath he in him such a mind of honor 1201That, had he twenty heads to tender down 1202195On twenty bloody blocks, he’d yield them up 1203Before his sister should her body stoop 1204To such abhorred pollution. 1205Then, Isabel, live chaste, and, brother, die. 1206More than our brother is our chastity. 1207200I’ll tell him yet of Angelo’s request, 1208And fit his mind to death, for his soul’s rest. She exits.
