In Shakespeare's play Measure For Measure' the scene in which we see Isabella and Angelo's first meeting is full of dramatic content and tension (Act 2 scene 2). In this essay, I will be looking at the way tension is portrayed and emphasised in this scene.
In Act 1 scene 4, we meet Isabella, who is about to join a nunnery. We can see from the questions she asks the nuns that she is very similar in character to Lord Angelo, the man who has condemned her brother to die. Lord Angelo is a most severe man when it comes to morality, as can be seen when he insists that the law must be upheld and Claudio must die. It is because of this similarity in character that the meeting between the two is most anticipated by the audience. However, we expect to see this meeting in Act 2 scene 1 but we are given an encounter between Escalus and Angelo. This scene is useful because it allows us to see that while Angelo is determined, he is bound to fall' as he has been placed on a pedestal by the people and his human nature ensures that he will make a mistake, bringing him down from this pedestal. Angelo also places himself on a pedestal, adopting a holier than thou' attitude towards Claudio and the people in general. This can be seen in line 17 of act 2 scene 1:.
Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus,.
Another to fall.
Angelo is telling Escalus that although he has been tempted, he has never succumbed to his urges and therefore Claudio must be punished as he was too weak a man to stop himself from sleeping with Juliet, his fiancée. Angelo then ends his conversation with Escalus by stating Sir, he must die. This sentence is very determined and adds a sense of finality to Claudio's sentence. It is also a very effective method of adding dramatic tension to Isabella's meeting with Lord Angelo, as we can see Escalus is wise and had a high status in Vienna, but he cannot sway Angelo's decision to execute Claudio.