In the play Measure for Measure, Shakespeare explores the extent of women's power by examining the portrayal of Isabella and other female characters. Throughout the play, Shakespeare intricately develops Isabella's character and weaves ambiguity around her to underscore how patriarchal societies tend to marginalize women, potentially resulting in their powerlessness. Shakespeare suggests that women's chastity and their ability to act as surrogates for one another may be their sole means of agency, thereby illuminating the limitations of female empowerment in the contemporary society of his time.

History

Shakespeare examines the limitations of women's agency, exposing the patriarchal structures embedded in the Jacobean age. In the Jacobean period, women were considered inferiors in society – individuals who possessed no power, only the power of their sexuality. During this time, patriarchal structures were entrenched in the cultural fabric, and marriage was central to the delineation of women’s roles (Ryan). These patriarchal social structures promoted the idea that men should supervise women and hold power over them economically, sexually, legally, and politically (Ryan). Measure for Measure was, to an extent, a problem play that challenged the contemporary normative social configurations. The Jacobean and Elizabethan epochs relied on the idea that laws and religious practices demanded women’s subordination to men. During this era, religious institutions were dismissed as entities of repression but, at the same time, were emphasized to provide emancipatory spaces for the members of the sisterhood (Slights).

In Renaissance times, monastic life also served as a creative outlet for contemporary women. Going beyond societal norms and patriarchal oppression, women composed music, painted, and took active roles in architectural and decorative projects while they pursued a solitary life in a convent (Slights). In addition to acknowledging the creative outlet convent life afforded, nuns were perceived to have formulated their own agency, as they had power over their will to maintain their chastity. Religious institutions offered a degree of creative expression and agency to women that were not always available to them in wider society. It was particularly monastic life that provided women with the opportunity to pursue artistic projects and exercise control over their sexuality. Shakespeare, too, at times presented convent life as a valid form of agency for a woman (Slights).

Isabella

Through pursuing convent life, Isabella’s determination to maintain her chastity becomes even more apparent. Her willingness to prioritize her religious duties over her moral obligations reflects a tension that was present in Renaissance thought and which may have influenced Shakespeare's portrayal of female empowerment in Measure for Measure. In the face of patriarchal structures that sought to subjugate women, Isabella's commitment to her faith and her agency over her own body represents a powerful challenge to the norms of her time.

Isabella's unwavering dedication to maintaining her chastity further highlights her defiance against the societal expectations of women in her era. It serves as a testament to her courage in the face of oppression. She explicitly says, “more than my brother is my chastity”; her determination to keep her chastity is something that contrasts with the role of post-Reformation women in society, as they have lost their agency and are under patriarchal rule (Riefer). Isabella here is seen to have prioritized her celibacy over her brother’s life – something most women in post-Reformation England would not have done. The fact that she values her chastity signifies how it is her sole form of agency in society, hence why she prioritizes it over her only brother.

Isabella has clenched onto this characterization even from her first appearance in the play. In Act 1, Scene II, from the outset, Shakespeare depicts a man, Claudio, as inferior to Isabella. The audience sees Claudio begging Lucio to ask Isabella to act as a surrogate on his part. This breaks the normative configurations set in motion throughout contemporary society, as a man is not seen as dependent on a woman. Claudio mentions how “there is something in her voice that moves men,” implying that she has the power to persuade a man. Beyond Isabella’s chastity, Shakespeare presents her as endowed with the ability to influence men.

However, Shakespeare quickly illustrates how this power to persuade men is not effective in patriarchal societies. Angelo’s strict and harsh nature is seen to oppress Isabella’s agency as she has attempted to convince Angelo but has been marginalized and rendered powerless. This ultimately serves to emphasize the idea that Isabella's power of persuasion is futile in a patriarchal system and that her only power is derived from her chastity.

Moreover, Isabella’s limited agency in a patriarchal society is not only demonstrated by her inability to persuade men but also by her understanding that women shape their identities based on how men perceive them. In Isabella’s dialogue with Claudio, Isabella mentions: “Ay, as the glasses where they view themselves, Which are as easy broke as they make forms. Women- Help, Heaven- men their creation mar In profiting by them.” Shakespeare clearly underscores Isabella’s understanding of women in these toxic societies as being as frail as the mirrors in which they see themselves. Women see themselves in the expectations that men like Angelo have of them. The men and the expectations of patriarchy are the mirrors, and that mirror is frail. Angelo expects Isabella to be pure but, at the same time, uses coercion in order to ruin Isabella’s image – attempting to render her powerless. This, by nature, is a clear depiction of how toxic patriarchal structures were in society and how these amounted to marginalizing women. This highlights the fragility of women's sense of self in patriarchal societies. Women are constantly subjected to the expectations and desires of men, as represented by Angelo's expectations of Isabella's purity. However, these expectations are not only unrealistic but also hypocritical, as Angelo himself attempts to coerce Isabella into sacrificing her virginity. This exemplifies how toxic patriarchal structures operate, where men appropriate women's power for their own benefit, as seen when Claudio tries to use Isabella's body as a means to save his own life. Isabella asks, “wilt thou be made a man out of my vice?” (Act 3, Scene 1). By subordinating women to their masculine intentions, men not only marginalize women but also perpetuate their own power and dominance.

Shakespeare continues to depict a woman's autonomy or perhaps a woman’s subjugation to male authority through the character of Isabella by utilizing the amount of dialogue she has in the play. As the plot goes on, Shakespeare reduces the amount of dialogue Isabella has and leaves her silent at the end of the play hence mimicking her fading voice. This can be interpreted in two ways. The first is that her silence at the end of the play can be interpreted as a dissident action toward patriarchal systems in the contemporary social structure. Silence can elucidate one’s agency as choosing to be silent amongst all the chaos has connotations of having autonomy because choosing to abstain from these patriarchal societies does come into the hands of power. 

On the other hand, Isabella’s diminishing voice and silence at the end of the play might also be interpreted as her gradual decline in power throughout the play. Her character dissolves, her spirit erodes, and she becomes an obedient follower of male guidance: an actress in a male-dominated drama. This ambiguity around Isabella’s character and agency allows Shakespeare to formulate the idea that a woman can hold agency and can be rendered powerless at the same time in the toxic patriarchal societies of the Jacobean age.

Apart from Isabella’s voice, men are still seen practicing their exploitative power over women in Measure for Measure. The Duke’s tendency to rule over Isabella and Mariana and Angelo’s tyrannical nature are seen to have led Isabella to develop a fear synonymous with her loss of virginity. Society has led her to fear losing her self-respect and the community's respect, which she has intricately cultivated. Her desire for a more “a more strict restraint / Upon the sisterhood” must be linked with an intense fear of the consequences of integrating herself into a society dominated by tyrannical men (Baines). Wanting to have active harsh laws around premarital sex unveils the fact that Isabella fears that she might be subject to be rendered powerless, and so wants more strict regulations to maintain her agency.

This fear has led Isabella to form doubts about her capacity to act in these societal configurations and has left her questioning her autonomy. In Act 1 Scene IV, when Lucio asks Isabella to petition on behalf of Claudio, she mentions: “My power? Alas, I doubt —”. Isabella questions her power and, as a result, believes that her power is only derived from the laws that govern society. Without these laws, Isabella is under the influence that she will be rendered powerless (Baines). She is afraid that without these laws, people would take advantage of her, and she would have no recourse. Her fears have caused her to doubt her own autonomy and her ability to make her own decisions.

Additionally, in Act 2 Scene IV, after Angelo attempts to coerce Isabella, she exclaims, “I will proclaim thee, Angelo; look for’t.” Angelo responds with, “Who will believe thee, Isabel? My unsoiled name, the austereness of my life, My vouch against you”. Shakespeare uses Angelo’s reputation and status as a male to exploit Isabella. Angelo’s position as a male in the Jacobean age allows him to demonstrate his authority and power in order to undermine Isabella’s independence and self-confidence, highlighting how the gender dynamics at play have made her vulnerable to his oppressive tactics.

Shakespeare initially presents Isabella as having autonomy in the play. He intertwines her identity and her character with her chastity, providing a sense of agency through it. Even before she steps foot onto the stage, she is portrayed as a woman with agency and as one who holds the idea that her “prosperous art” and her ability to “play with reason and discourse” would be wasted in the city, so as a result retreats to convent life. But as the plot progresses and the Duke’s machinations are gradually unveiled, Isabella’s foreswearing of the company of men is soon overturned as Lucio brings her back into dominant patriarchal societies (Riefer). As Isabella balances her autonomy and attempts to save her brother, men like Angelo are seen to have coerced, exploited, and undermined women. Shakespeare makes it evident that although women in post-Reformation England are empowered, toxic patriarchal societies and the gender dynamics perpetually oppress and subjugate women, sparking doubts and fears of being rendered powerless in these social structures.

Mariana

Mariana is another female character that Shakespeare depicts as a woman who is hopeless and left stranded by patriarchal societies. The audience's first impressions of Mariana take place in Act 4 Scene I, where she is presented as a hopeless romantic who lingers in the past. Shakespeare sets a melancholic tone when Mariana comes onto the stage, representing her state in life – despondent and desperate (Digangi). Mariana is left alone as Angelo has abandoned her. This is another instance where Shakespeare demonstrates the manipulative power of male characters, as Angelo has deserted and diminished Mariana, allowing her to doubt her self-autonomy in Vienna. Angelo has left her to endure the destructive effects of adversity alone (Digangi).

However, Isabella steps in, and now Mariana does perhaps hold power – the power to deceive and overthrow Angelo. Behind the face of patriarchial systems, Isabella and Mariana scheme to deceive and manipulate Angelo, hence exercising agency by serving as surrogates for one another. With the help of each other, they successfully swindle Angelo, gaining themselves emancipation from despotic patriarchal circles. Through Mariana and Isabella, Shakespeare illustrates a community of like-minded women who hold power to manipulate systems that are dominated by male figures (Baines). 

Nevertheless, it could be argued that Mariana and Isabella's actions were not done out of agency but rather out of necessity. They are both women who have been wronged by Angelo, and their actions can be seen as a way to get revenge against him. While they may be successful in their scheme, it could be argued that they are not truly in control of the situation (Baines). Their power is only present due to the aftermath of being disparaged. They only resulted in this form of agency because they lacked agency in the first place. After all, their scheme against patriarchy was under the machinations of the Duke for the entirety of the play (Baines). Even though they have formulated a community of like-minded women to assert their power, Shakespeare paints a picture of a society with patriarchy as a standard configuration that continually marginalizes women (Baines).

In either interpretation, Shakespeare alludes to the ways in which Mariana has lost any sense of agency she has worked to develop for herself. After Angelo’s fraudulent authoritative power comes into light in Act 5 Scene I. Mariana is conveyed as powerless and as one who lacks autonomy as she once again seeks to be governed by male authority. Mariana mentions, “I will not show my face Until my husband [Angelo] bid me.” Mariana has toiled to acquire her agency in society but quickly throws it away as she is blinded by patriarchal structures. The fact that she will not act unless Angelo instructs her to do so is definitely an illustration of being impotent. This goes on to show how one who fails to preserve their chastity in Vienna is rendered powerless and continually seeks to be involved in the patriarchal systems that permeate Shakespeare’s England. By choosing to be subjugated by Angelo, Shakespeare demonstrates her lack of agency and her willingness to be controlled by a patriarchal structure. She is giving up her autonomy and power to a man, thus demonstrating her impotence in the face of oppressive systems.

Juliet

As light is shed on female empowerment in Measure for Measure, Shakespeare conveys Juliet’s agency in Vienna and offers an appreciation that her predicament is not singular but is crucial to understanding her autonomy in patriarchal societies and the repressive power of male characters. In Act 2, Scene III, the Duke asserts, “then was your sin of heavier kind than his [Claudio].” The Duke’s judgment of Juliet is not simply an expression of a male chauvinist’s double standard but an acknowledgment of a patriarchal society’s dependence upon a woman’s chastity (Baines). Juliet is marginalized because, in Vienna, women are defined and placed on the basis of their chastity. The Duke’s prejudice against Juliet seems apparent to have shown that Juliet has no self-autonomy and power in Shakespeare’s England (Baines). She has failed to maintain her chastity, and therefore according to the Duke, her sins weigh more than Claudio’s. Although both Claudio and Juliet have participated in premarital sex, Shakespeare portrays and reflects the larger societal gender power dynamics of the time, which heavily subordinated women, thus underscoring Juliet’s lack of agency.

Juliet's lack of agency is further emphasized by the fact that she finds pleasure in carrying the weight of her situation, as if resignation to her fate is her only option. Juliet mentions how she “takes the shame [of carrying a child] with joy” (Act 2, Scene III). This reveals that Juliet has internalized her subordinate status and sees her only option as accepting the roles that society has prescribed for her (Riefer). Shakespeare uses Juliet's character to demonstrate the limitations of female empowerment in his contemporary society, where women were expected to be subservient to men, and their only means of agency was through their chastity. Overall, Shakespeare portrays Juliet's lack of power as a result of societal structures that subordinated and marginalized women in his time.

Mistress Overdone, Kate Keepdown, and the other female characters

Every other woman in the play is intertwined with some form of sexuality. Shakespeare, in a way, dehumanizes women and renders them down to mere objects of sexuality. With no autonomy and self-respect, these women are portrayed as powerless. The alternatives to Isabella’s strict renunciation of her sexuality are the shame and harassment of Juliet, the sorrow of Mariana, the tavern jokes at the expense of  Mistress Elbow, the exploitation of Kate Keepdown, and the overuse of Mistress Overdone (Baines). All these female characters are involved with an element of sexuality, which in turn allows Shakespeare to dehumanize them and portray them as being reduced to only this element, robbing them of any autonomy and self-respect. If Shakespeare has put chastity and the ability to act as surrogates for one another as the basis of power for a woman in Vienna, then what does this say about all these other female characters? With sexuality being inevitable for these women, Shakespeare conveys the idea that women are disempowered and lack autonomy in Shakespeare’s England.

This idea of disempowerment and lack of autonomy is further emphasized in the finale of Measure for Measure through the Duke’s resolution of the play’s problems. The Duke solves and justifies all sexual immorality through marriage, where every woman is married off to a male character. This in hand can be seen as women being enslaved to patriarchal societies, as marriage during the Jacobean age was a way to limit and diminish a woman’s agency. Furthermore, the fact that Mistress Overdone, Kate Keepdown, and Mariana delight in marriage signifies the idea that women have been tunnel-visioned into thinking that marriage is their only result. This further reinforces the idea of marriage as a form of containment in Shakespeare’s contemporary society, given that the only form of resolution for women involves marrying a man. However, most female characters in Measure for Measure have been conditioned to delight and accept it as their only option.

However, as mentioned, Isabella’s silence to the Duke’s resolution fortifies Shakespeare's argument that chastity is a female’s leading power in his contemporary society. Isabella is the only character that has preserved her chastity in the entirety of the play, and as Shakespeare gives Isabella no dialogue at the end, Isabella’s possession of agency is unveiled as her silence is a dissident action towards patriarchy. As all the other women are being married off, Isabella’s stance is clear: she values her autonomy and therefore retaliates with silence. Being starkly contrasted to all the other women who have been rendered down to mere objects of their sexuality, Isabella is the embodiment of female empowerment and self-respect in Shakespeare’s post-Reformation England.

Conclusion

Through the character of Isabella and the public renunciation of her sexuality, Shakespeare clearly fortifies the idea that a woman’s chastity is one of the main sources of agency. Through chastity, a woman has the right to self-government and the freedom to exercise autonomy. Using the other women in the play, Shakespeare has unveiled the fact that sexuality is a means of submission to men where degradation pervades society.

Angelo’s tyrannical authority and the Duke’s overruling nature have allowed Shakespeare to present a Vienna where a toxic patriarchal structure permeates throughout. In these pressing normative structures, Shakespeare illustrates how women can act as surrogates for one another and, in turn, are excessing some level of power over these exploitative systems.

The finale of Measure for Measure encompasses the Duke’s answer to sexual immorality, where he asserts prejudice towards female characters, reducing them to mere cogs in a patriarchal society. Here, Shakespeare clearly illustrates the varying power dynamics at play. Though most women have been enslaved through marriage and marginalized by male authority, Isabella stands out as she is empowered through her chastity. Although the Duke’s resolution has made it clear that the prejudice springing from these patriarchal social structures is perpetual in manipulating and appropriating women’s powers, Isabella's silence has successfully shown that she holds the autonomy, agency, and self-respect to reciprocate against the oppressive patriarchal social structures in Shakespeare’s England.