How Does Shakespeare Present Mariana As A Foil In Measure For Measure

The literary device of a “foil” is commonly used in literature as a character used to show more of another character’s personality and morals. The Encyclopædia Britannica defines it as “a character who is presented as a contrast to a second character so as to point to or show to advantage some aspect of the second character”. In Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure the character Mariana appears to be put in the play as a foil to display the contrast between her, a common woman, and Isabella, a strict and moral nun. Rather than being used to highlight Isabella’s good qualities, her devotion to God and her convent, I will be arguing that Mariana’s presence in the play leads Isabella to betray her morals and strict nun lifestyle to suit her own

selfish needs, and she ends up displaying this change of priorities to the other characters and to the readers and audience of the play.
Isabella is introduced in the play as a wholly devout and strict nun, a note the audience would immediately pick up on with their understanding of the Catholic Church and the differences between Catholicism and the present religion of The Church of England. She is speaking with Francisca, a nun at the Order of St. Clare. The connotation alone of Isabella being in a convent leads readers and the audience to believe she must be a devout and morally strong character, one who would be following the strict rules of a convent, and of the Catholic Church and it’s rules. This is solidified when Isabella asks Francisca about the rules of the convent:
ISABELLA. 
And have you nuns no farther privileges?

FRANCISCA. 
Are not these large enough?

ISABELLA. 
Yes, truly; I speak not as desiring more,

But rather wishing a more strict restraint

Upon the sisterhood, the votarists of Saint Clare. (1.4.1-5)
Isabella states clearly that she wishes this convent, traditionally known for being strictly catholic and abiding by the rules, were more strict and gave the sisters less privileges. The already present lack of privileges is highlighted when Francisca and Isabella hear a man’s voice and Francisca tells Isabella that “if you speak, you must not show your face; / Or if you show your face, you must not speak”(1.4.12-13). This introduction of Isabella and the convent that she associates herself with shows the audience that she must be a very strict woman, one that if she is so devout to the rules of the convent must be so towards the rules of the Catholic Church and the morals they uphold. The Catholic Church in Shakespeare’s time believed that celibacy was the highest value to God, while the Church of England believed that marriage and child bearing were more valued than celibacy. The connotation of Isabella being a Catholic nun in the play would again solidify to the audience that Isabella would be morally obligated to condemn pre-marital sex and advocate for celibacy among all of God’s believers.
With this information on Isabella’s character in mind, Isabella’s morals come into question when she is given the proposal of the bed-trick by the duke. In a conversation with Isabella, the duke shares a history of the relationship between Angelo and Mariana, telling Isabella that Angelo “Left her in her tears, and dried not one of them with his comfort; swallowed his vows whole, pretending in her discoveries of dishonor…” (3.1.220-222). The duke tells Isabella that Mariana is a virgin, that Angelo has slandered and traduced her name to get out of the marriage with his own name clean, and Isabella still wants to put Mariana through this bed-trick essentially having her commit the same crime her brother is in prison facing the death penalty for. The entire plot of the bed-trick is also done on the mere chance that Angelo will let her brother free: “If the encounter acknowledge itself hereafter, it may compel him to her recompense; and hear, by this is your brother saved, your honour untainted, the poor Mariana advantaged, and the corrupt deputy scaled” (3.1.242-245). Not one moment of hesitation passes Isabella’s mind with this proposal despite the fact that instead of condemning pre-marital sex she advocates for it in a situation where she believes it to be necessary. She goes against her vows and the morals set by God that chastity is of the utmost value, and selfishly scape-goats her problems through Mariana without a though of the moral implications this has for Mariana.
Isabella should, as a nun, want to preach goodness and morality and be against pre-marital sex as she was with her brother’s case yet when she has the chance to place the sin on someone else’s head she selfishly agrees to save her brother and herself. By agreeing to participate in the bed-trick proposal that the duke presents to her, Isabella shows the audience that she would rather someone else sin in her stead. The duke even tells Mariana that there is no sin in what they are about to do, “He is your husband on a pre-contract. / To bring you thus together ‘tis no sin, / Sith that the justice of your title to him / Doth flourish the deceit” (4.1.68-71). Regardless, Isabella’s brother is currently in prison for the same thing, and even if it was not a sin, she still falls low in her moral standings by doing this as a way to get her undeserving fiancé back. Claudio was also “pre-contracted” to his partner in a “spousal de future” marriage, a legally binding contract where they say they will take each other as husband and wife before an actual wedding ceremony. None of this excuses the fact that Isabella has made an oath and a pact to a Catholic convent that she is to practice strict Catholicism, and not be plotting to dupe a man and woman into having pre-marital sex as an attempt to
While Isabella is subconsciously abandoning her morals, essentially showing the audience what her true morals are in contrast to the ones she displays for show, the duke is the spear-head of the operation and catalyzes Mariana’s effect on Isabella and her morals. In act three scene one, just prior to the duke and Isabella asking Mariana to perform the bed-trick with Angelo, Elbow enters with Pompey and tells the duke-who is disguised currently as a friar- that he is under arrest for being a pimp, and the duke outraged condemns Pompey’s actions
Fie, sirrah, a bawd, a wicked bawd! / The evil that thou causest to be done, / That is thy means to live. Do thou but think / What ‘tis to cram a maw or clothe a back / From such a filthy vice. Say to thyself, / ‘From their abominable and beastly touches / I drink, I eat, array myself, and live’. / Canst though believe thy living is a life, / So stinkingly depending? Go mend, go mend (3.1.274-282).
With this in mind going into the next act, it can be suggested that the duke and Isabella are similarly pimping Mariana to fulfill their duties and basically right all wrongs.

The dukes reaction to Pompey could be argued as internalized guilt for what he and Isabella are about to ask of Mariana, that they are essentially trading her sexual service in favor of the release of Isabella’s brother from prison. Mariana’s presence in the play has now caused Isabella to betray her moral standings and participate in sexual trafficking, all so that she can selfishly save her brother and her chastity, without thought clearly of the moral weight this has on

Mariana.
It must be noted that Mariana at no point makes Isabella do anything to forfeit her morals, but rather the mere presence of her as an object to Isabella that has her casting aside her façade and showing her underlying fundamental beliefs.

Mariana is simply that- an object- to Isabella and the duke, as she is a pawn in their game to fix everything and right the world of its wrongs. In the dukes plan, Mariana is to come in to replace Isabella in bed –“We shall advise this wronged maid to stead up your appointment, go in your place” (3.1.241-242)- and complete their plan to thwart Angelo. Mariana is the convenient person in the play that Isabella can use to save her chastity and her brother in one fell swoop. After explaining the plot to Isabella, and the duke asks her what she thinks of it, her response is “The image of it gives me content already, and I trust it will grow to a most prosperous perfection” (3.1.249-250). To Isabella, the image of trading her chastity for another woman’s makes her feel “content”, clearly showing that her fixed resolve on the idea of chastity has conveniently shifted to suit her own selfish needs thanks to Mariana being present as an object for her to manipulate. The duke then hastens her to tell Angelo that she has agreed to sleep with him, thus setting the bed-trick into motion, and Isabella says to the duke “I thank you for this comfort. Fare you well, good father” (3.1.257-258). And with this, her mind “comforted” by the thought of a

chaste woman and a chaste man having pre-marital sex, Isabella exits and the audience is left reeling in the drama and excitement of the bed-trick, and questioning the supposed devout Catholic nun and her morals.
In conclusion, Mariana’s presence in Measure for Measure as a foil to Isabella’s character is used to highlight Isabella’s true underlying morals, leading her to betray her façade as a strict and morally sound Catholic nun in order for her to get her way and remain celibate. In the beginning of the play Isabella is a strict and devout Catholic nun who even asks for more strict rules in her convent when already they are not allowed to show their face to men if they speak. This image of Isabella is changed after she agrees to participate in the bed-trick and trade the destruction of her chastity with Mariana’s, scape-goating her problems onto someone else. Mariana is also an object to Isabella, working with the duke to put her where they need her to be in order to pull of their plot to trick Angelo and resolve the issues in the play. Isabella is supposed to uphold the Catholic Church and their rules by advocating celibacy and chastity, but instead with Mariana as a foil and an object at her disposal Isabella uses Mariana as a convenient replacement for herself in Angelo’s attempt to blackmail her, and sacrifices Mariana’s chastity to protect her own.