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Paper 1

Joseph Martinez

Department of Philosophy, Florida State University

PHI 2010: Introduction to Philosophy

Professor Thomas Reed

October 3, 2022
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In Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure, Isabella is presented with the choice of

sleeping with the judge, Angelo, in order to save her brother Claudio from execution or let him

be killed (Shakespeare, 1604). I will argue for the view that Isabella should choose not to sleep

with Angelo using the moral theory Utilitarianism. Since I am analyzing her choice through a

utilitarian lens, the choice that is correct must be the choice that brings about the most utility, in

this case, the most happiness (Timmons). There are three choices Isabella can make: sleep with

Angelo and hope he keeps his promise, have Angelo sleep with someone else and trick him into

thinking it’s Isabella, which is the choice made in the play, or not sleep with Angelo and uphold

her dignity but have her brother killed (Shakespeare, 1604).

First, I would like to analyze the choice to sleep with Angelo. Let’s begin with the

assumption that Angelo will uphold his promise and free Isabella’s brother. That is, if Isabella

sleeps with him, Claudio will be spared of his execution. Isabella is a nun, which means she

follows the Catholic faith, which places strong emphasis on sexual immorality and keeping the

body pure. In this case, Isabella herself would most likely lose happiness, as she has to forfeit her

piety in return for her brother’s freedom. It is important to note for this explanation that Claudio

begs Isabella to be freed, at which she is disgusted and likens it to incest, as she is having sex

while thinking of her brother (Shakespeare, 1604). Since she views it as such, the unhappiness

caused by giving up her body and committing what she views as an act of incest is greater than

the happiness gained by her brother being freed. Claudio’s fiancé, Juliet, would gain happiness,

as would Angelo for having his goal realized, but this happiness comes at the price of Isabella’s

lifelong self-disgust for her choice.

If Angelo does not uphold his promise, the amount of utility would be even lower than in

the first assumption. Not only would Isabella have to deal with the unhappiness that comes from
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her choice to give up her body, but she would also have to take on the burden of a dead brother.

The combination of the two alone is enough unhappiness to outweigh any possible happiness as

a result of the situation. Juliet would also be extremely unhappy, as her fiancé would be dead.

The only gained happiness would be that of Angelo’s, as he got what he wanted. Families may

mourn Claudio, which would add to overall unhappiness as well.

Scenario one, where Angelo upholds his promise, is better than scenario two, where he

does not. It results in higher net utility because Isabella and Juliet do not have to deal with the

unhappiness that comes with the death of Claudio. However, the choice to sleep with Angelo is a

bad one because both results have low net utility, and Isabella is gambling that Angelo will

uphold his promise, as she cannot guarantee he is telling the truth.

Second, I would like to discuss the choice to have Angelo sleep with another woman, but

trick him into thinking it’s Isabella. At face value, this seems like the best choice, as Isabella

does not have to give herself up for Claudio, he is set free, and Angelo gets his happiness from

sex. Circling back to the fact that Isabella is a nun, this means she would be forced to put another

woman in her position and subsequently lie about it. Although Angelo would be satisfied,

Claudio would be alive and happy, and Juliet would also be happy, their happiness is outweighed

by Isabella’s unhappiness. She would have immense guilt from her deed, having knowingly

caused another woman to commit adultery and lying about it. Everytime she looks at her brother,

she would be reminded of the choice she made and the lies she told to keep him alive. Also, the

other woman would have to live with her unhappiness as a result as well. In addition, Isabella

cannot guarantee Angelo will follow through with his promise in this choice either. This choice

still results in negative net utility, which is why I believe this choice is better than the choice to

sleep with Angelo herself, but not as good as the choice to not do it at all.
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Lastly, I would like to consider the choice to not sleep with Angelo. Although Isabella

and Juliet would initially be unhappy from Claudio’s execution as a result of this choice, Isabella

would not have to face the unhappiness that comes with the other choices. Also, Juliet would

process Claudio’s death and eventually move on, as sad as it may seem. Angelo would be

unhappy, but he would move on quickly, as he was just looking for easy gratification. Morbidly,

Claudio’s happiness/unhappiness does not factor into this decision because he would be dead. I

am not arguing that this choice results in a net positive utility, but I do believe that it results in

the highest net utility, albeit still negative.

Some people would argue that Isabella should sleep with Angelo because the happiness

gained from having her brother alive is greater than the unhappiness caused by her choice. But it

is important to remember that she views this action as the same as incest, and she is also a nun.

We cannot apply modern day morals to her choice, as at the time, nuns (and society in general)

would have had strict moral beliefs regarding sex. It is also important to remember that Claudio

did in fact break the law (Shakespeare, 1604). I am not saying he deserves death, but most people

in the society at the time would have believed his punishment just.

References
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Timmons, M. (n.d.). A Moral Theory Primer.

Shakespeare, W. (1604). Measure for Measure.