“It is fitting for a soldier arise to be a Prince, but not necessary
a Prince descend to be a Prince”
The characters in the play come from various different social background and for us to fully understand the play, we need to understand these socials backgrounds and how they affect actions of characters. For example although Bosola is not happy accepting Ferdinand’s offer his social position leaves him little choice.
“O, that to avoid ingratitude
For the good deed you have done me, I must do
All the ill man can invent!”
This first scene also gives us an idea of the time that this play is set in, letting us understand how other characters were allowed to treat others like they do.
In the first scene of the play I would expect the main characters to be introduced to the audience, either by other characters talking about them or by the characters appearing on the stage. Almost all of the main characters in ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ are not only introduced in the first scene but also their personality and disposition are established. The audience learns a lot about the characters in the play through Antonio and Delio’s discourse in the opening scene of the play. Antonio tells the Delio about the Duchess and her brothers as well as about Bosola, the audience via this learns about the characters and their past, although Antonio’s view of the characters may be biased the audience can learn much about Antonio himself through his discussion of other characters.
“I knew this fellow seven years in the galleys
For a notorious murder, and ‘twas thought
The Cardinal suborned it”
A simple speech like this not only reveals not only Bosola background but also inform the audience of views of the Cardinal, conversation between Antonio and Delio is used by Webster in this scene to communicate to the audience details about the characters background and personality. For the audience to have a full interest in the play it is vital that the writer establishes the characters early on so the audience can follow their progress and so they can understand the characters actions. Fort example in the first scene of ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ through Antonio’s description of Ferdinand, the Prince’s dealings with Bosola and things he says when in conversation with the Duchess the audience starts to believe that Ferdinand is crazy and has an obsession with his sister, a reasoning that will later help the audience to understand Ferdinand’s actions.
A play should be given direction in the first scene; the writer should have revealed the basis of the plot, so the audience is left in suspense as to what will happen next. From the beginning of the first scene in ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ Webster is setting down the basis of the plot, characters immediately start to draw the audience into their world, introducing the audience to what is happening. Webster does this very effectively, because the audience gets the feeling of coming in at the middle of the story as the action is already happening, however they feel included because they are filled in on all the relevant events which have happened up to that point. By the end of the first scene the audience knows that Bosola is a spy for Ferdinand, the Duchess has married Antonio secretly, and Ferdinand has threatened his sister with death if she should marry again without his approval.
“This was my father’s poniard. Do you see?
I’d be loth to see ‘t look rusty, ‘cause ‘twas his,”
Therefore the audience can see how the plot might develop, yet it is still not completely clear leaving the audience in suspense.
Relationships between characters in a play can define where the story goes, and often shift throughout the play. Therefore it is essential that the writer establishes character relationships at the beginning of the play. Webster uses the first scene of ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ to illustrate the relationships between the main characters in the play. For example Antonio and Delio’s conversation throughout the scene demonstrates the close relationship between them, as they speak to each other of things that they would get into trouble for if he other passed it on. The relationship between the Duchess and Antonio is also established for the audience to see, they realize that although Antonio and the Duchess love each other, Antonio looks up to the Duchess and can never quite stop seeing her as a superior to himself.
“This goodly roof of yours is too low built;
I cannot stand upright in ‘t, nor discourse,
Without I raise it higher. Raise yourself;”
This will be important for the audience to understand later in the play. It is also important for the audience to realize what kind of relationship the Duchess has with her brothers, the Duchess at the very beginning obviously trusts her brother, Ferdinand as when he asks her to give Bosola a position in her household she agrees immediately without question, even later after Ferdinand has threatened her life the Duchess still does not suspect Bosola giving him vital information that will kill her and her children. This shows that the Duchess has a naive and trusting relationship with her brothers, at least on her part. This can also be seen in the way the Duchess does not believe her brothers will carry through their threat if she does marry,
“Yet, should they know it, time will easily
Scatter the tempest”
The Duchess’s brothers on the other hand view the Duchess as a means to their own ends, especially the Cardinal and caring more about their family honour than the Duchess herself. These relationships will become important as the play progresses so it is important that the audience knows them now.
Overall the first scene of John Webster’s play ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ fulfils my expectations of the opening scene of a play. The initial scene of a play should interest you, introduce the main characters and a plot and establish the background for the play, as well as other things, while not giving away too much of the play and still keeping the audiences interest. Webster uses the first scene of ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ to do this very well.