The virtuous vanity of Isabella in Measure for Measure Shakespeare's work, Measure for Measure, places the "problem" in a "problem game" because it examines the difference between law and justice, virtue and goodness. It is a case study of the abuse of power that has particularly contemporary resonance. Isabella is a very intriguing Shakespearean woman. She is one of the few intelligent women who is also innocent and saintly. Measure for Measure focuses primarily on his moral dilemma. Does she save her brother and give up her precious chastity or does she save her own soul while letting her brother die? Playing on Elizabethan views regarding women, nuns, and chastity, Shakespeare uses Isabella to develop his plot and theme. Although Isabella is outwardly chaste and merciful, she is not willing to give up her virginity to Angelo in exchange for Claudio's life, but she is willing to sacrifice Mariana's chastity for the cause. Isabelle is so virtuous that it becomes vanity for her. Sanctimonious, hypocritical, intelligent, beautiful, Isabelle, who is a representative of restraint in the text. In fact, she goes too far in her desire for strictness, as shown when she asks one of the nuns if she could not have stricter restraint than one of the sisters present. This echoes the theme of indulgence and restraint, but since Isabella is too attracted to one of the poles, she will have to become more moderate to become truly human. Isabella immediately stands out as a rare female character when her brother describes her. with the statement, "she has a prosperous art/when she plays with reason and discourse, well she can persuade" (Shakespeare 1.2.161-163)." Women in the middle of paper.... ..e of the play.Works cited and consulted: Charlton, HB Shakespearean Comedy London: Methuen, 1938.Knight, G. Wilson The Wheel of Fire: Essays in the Interpretation of Shakespeare's Dark Tragedies London: Oxford UP, 1930. Leech, Clifford. "The 'meaning' of measure for measure." Shakespeare Survey 3 (1950): 69-71. New American Standard Bible ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975. Pope, Elizabeth Marie. 1949): 66-82. Rossiter, AP Angel with Horns and other Shakespeare lectures. Ed. Graham Floor. London: Longmans, Green, 1961. Shakespeare, William. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Ed. Alfred Harbage. 1969. Baltimore: Penguin, 1971. Sypher, Wylie. “Shakespeare as Casuist: Measure for Measure”. The Sewanee Review 58 (1950): 262-80.