outward side This means that Angelo looks holy but hides evil inside His goodness is artificial He pretends to be virtuous to gain fame and power Thus his outer holiness contrasts with his inner sinfulness His name Angelo sounds like angel but his heart is not angelic His Cruel Sense of Justice Angelo applies the law without mercy He punishes Claudio with death for loving Juliet before marriage He says The law hath not been dead though it hath slept These words show his strict belief that the law should never rest He forgets that laws are for human benefit not for cruelty Angelo enjoys power and uses it to appear strong He rejects mercy and listens to no appeal His justice becomes cold and heartless Such behaviour makes him seem more of a tyrant than a moral ruler The Fall Through Lust Angelo s true villainy appears when he sees Isabella He falls in love with her at first sight His passion turns into lust He desires the woman who represents purity Shocked by his feelings he says Is this her fault or mine The tempter or the tempted who sins most ha This line shows his inner conflict He wants Isabella but still tries to justify himself He offers her a shameful deal her brother s life in exchange for her body The man who punished Claudio for the same act now wishes to commit it himself His Abuse of Power Angelo s villainy reaches its peak when he breaks his promise After sleeping with Mariana believing her to be Isabella he still orders Claudio s death His act shows both cowardice and cruelty The Duke later reminds him Haste still pays haste and leisure answers leisure Like doth quit like and measure still for measure Here the Duke means that Angelo will be judged as he judged others Angelo s crime is not only lust but also the misuse of power His Guilt and Punishment At the end Angelo realizes his sin When his crimes are revealed he feels deep shame He confesses and begs for death His words and silence show repentance The Duke punishes him by making him marry Mariana the woman he betrayed Later Isabella pleads for his life This forgiveness restores moral balance In conclusion Angelo s character stands between a villain and a fallen man He begins as a false saint and ends as a guilty sinner His sin is great but his repentance softens it Shakespeare presents him as a man ruined by passion and pride rather than as pure evil Thus it is fair to call Angelo a tragic sinner rather than a complete villain in Measure for Measure