Geoggrey McQuilkin.
Conflicts and Obstacles: Act III:
Isabella goes to Claudius in order to get his approval of her decision. Claudius thinks that his sister is being selfish at first, but then agrees with her decision and feels guilty about trying to persuade her to sacrifice her beliefs for him.
The Duke tries to get a good sense of how his people feel about him as a ruler, yet it is difficult for him to do this without giving away his identity.
Isabelle is an increasingly prudish and rigid character as she believes that Claudius' punishment is not entirely unjust despite the fact that his crime is the least offensive of all his fellow prisoners.
Conflicts and Obstacles: Act IV:
In one of the Duke's schemes, he proposes that Mariana sacrifice her sexuality with Angelo in order to gain some sort of redemption as a woman. Yet this is deceptive as Mariana believes that she is partaking in the scheme with the friar's blessings.
We see the meaning of the play's title expand as the Duke reveals the nature of his schemes. Many of the conflicts that occur during the play involve measuring the relevant value of two things (such as Isabelle's virtue verses Claudius' life or the Duke's wanting to know how good of a leader he is verses Angelo having free reign in Vienna). In this scene, the Duke judges the value of Claudius' life to be greater than that of Barnadine as he is willing to sacrifice her life for his in one of his schemes.
Barnadine refuses to be executed which shows that he recognizes the value of life where the Duke might not. This shows that perhaps the Duke is too far separated and not connected enough with the lives of his citizens. The duke begins to appear manipulative and deceptive as he uses both of his identities to make Isabella go along with his plans as she refuses Angelo's proposal. Although his scheme with Mariana does work and the ability to put plans into action successfully is a quality of a good leader.
Conflicts Act V:
Isabelle's marriage to the Duke does conflict with her previous beliefs in chastity so in a way she is surrendering her sexuality to the will of a man. However, she does not partake in premarital sex, which is her main objection in the play.
In the end, the Duke uses marriage as a punishment for Lucio and Angelo, and a reward for Claudio and Mariana (and himself). It is ironic how the institution of marriage is used in this absurd sense at the end of the play after it was built up as the main staple of Angelo's laws in the previous acts.