How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line.)
Quote #10
ISABELLA:
Tell me no more! Oh, monstrous homicides!
Since neither piety or pity moves
The King to justice or compassion,
I will revenge myself upon this place
Where thus they murdered my beloved son.
She cuts down the arbor.Down with these branches and these loathsome boughs
Of this unfortunate and fatal pine!
Down with them, Isabella, rend them up,
And burn the roots from whence the rest is sprung!
I will not leave a root, a stalk, a tree,
a bough, a branch, a blossom, nor a leaf,
No, not an herb within this garden plot. (4.2.1-12)
If you think Hieronimo is frustrated because he has no access to justice, just think about how Isabella must feel. As a woman of her time, she's totally out of the loop. She has zero options. Because women were not even supposed to speak in public forums, much less seek justice publicly against members of the royal family.
So what does she do? She cuts down the arbor where her son was hanged. While this might seem sadly impotent, it's actually a powerfully symbolic moment. After going all Rambo on her garden, she brings her symbolic point home by linking the arbor with her motherhood: "And as I curse this tree from further fruit,/ So shall my womb be cursed for his sake" (4.2.34-35). Yes, she kills herself, but what does cursing her life-giving powers mean in the context of revenge?
What does this say about her limitations? But even more importantly, what does it say about female power in the play? It's a reminder that women are life-givers in a play where men do a lot of life taking. It's important to note that women tend to turn inward for revenge in the play, while men act outwardly.