Angelo starts this scene off with a soliloquy which gives the impression that he has been struggling with is physical desires for Isabella since they first met. His speech is very troubled and he states that his words of prayer are empty because `his intervention' (his thoughts) `anchors on Isabel'. Angelo's phrase `false seeming' anticipates Isabella's bitter condemnation when she says `seeming seeming'. His soliloquy deliberates his struggle between physical desire and self restraint, craving Isabella and also knowing that he would be just as bad as Claudio if he did sleep with her.

Isabella's opening line, `I am come to know your pleasure', has a definite sexual meaning whether she knows it or not. It is followed by Angelo's heated account of the mounting lust in his blood. Isabella uses lots of sexual language however she doesn't seem to pick up on Angelo's obvious sexual approach towards...