Measure for Measure Chapter Summary & Analysis - Act 1, Scene 4 Summary

Act 1, Scene 4 Summary

Isabella, Claudio's sister, is at the convent speaking to a nun about her wishes for as strict and pious a life as possible. Lucio enters and tells her about her brother's arrest, which she at first cannot believe. Lucio assures her he is not joking, but that Claudio is being made an example of by the Duke's deputy, Angelo. Some men have been sent to try to find the Duke, but no one knows where he is. Isabella is not sure how she can help, but promises to try.

Act 1, Scene 4 Analysis

Isabella, introduced here, is another of the play's unnaturally pious characters. Although she appears to be a sympathetic figure, her wish to live a life of "more strict restraint" than the life even the nuns live, makes her a similar character to Angelo.

The terms Lucio uses to describe Isabella, "immortal spirit," "saint," support the idea that she is somehow removed...
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