The Birth Of Hypocrisy
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The Birth Of Hypocrisy

A look at a common character type as created by Shakespeare

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The Birth Of Hypocrisy
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The character type of the moralizing hypocrite is easily one of the more common character types of the modern era, appearing in all kinds of media that run the gamut from serious social satires to simple teen dramas. And, like just about everything else in modern culture, the primary archetype of this character was established by William Shakespeare. In this case, I'm talking about Angelo, the substitute ruler of Vienna in Measure for Measure.

We're introduced to Angelo in the very first scene of the play, as Duke Vincentio offers him the role of Duke while Vincentio is allegedly off to negotiate something with someone (Vincentio is his own case of worms; did I mention that Measure for Measure is called a 'problem play'?) Angelo's main goal is to restore the law in Vienna, which Vincentio has neglected for over a decade. In doing this, Angelo sentences a young man named Claudio to death for impregnating his fiancee before properly marrying her (a possible reference to Shakespeare's own marriage situation). To save Claudio, his soon-to-be-a-nun sister, Isabella, argues for his life. Angelo, perversely aroused by Isabella's good nature, agrees to spare Claudio if Isabella will sleep with him. Isabella refuses, but the Duke, disguised as a monk, helps set it up so that Mariana, Angelo's ex-fiancee, will sleep with him instead. The Duke also switches Claudio's head for a pirate's (Angelo goes back on his word). Then, at the very end, the Duke reveals himself, pardons Claudio, marries Angelo to Mariana, and proposes marriage to Isabella. Don't worry if you don't understand it; no one really does.

There are many aspects of this play that can be discussed further, but for now, let's focus on Angelo. What makes Angelo more interesting than his descendants is, first of all, we get to peek into his head, and see that he feels a lot of guilt over his actions. After he first meets Isabella, he has a soliloquy where he questions how he can be so sexually attracted to a woman precisely because of her chaste nature, and compares himself to a carcass in the sun that "corrupts with virtuous season." And then, after he thinks he has slept with Isabella and still ordered the execution of her brother, he agonizes over how he has allowed his baser instincts to so override and ruin his higher moral nature. Whether or not he was always good (his history with Mariana suggests otherwise) is irrelevant, as he always thought of himself as good, but is only now forced to confront his subconscious self.

This kind of agonizing self-analysis, where a character takes such a brutal look at themselves, is something you don't see from your standard type of this character (or really, any character, but that's another subject). Furthermore, the fact that Angelo is so powerless to control himself demonstrates both the irrational nature of desire and its ability to completely take over our person. Measure for Measure may not be one of Shakespeare's more well-known plays, but it definitely deserves more attention.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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