Flamineo in the prominent revenge tragedy John Webster play, The White Devil.

Authors Avatar

Flamineo

Flamineo is a central, and key character in the prominent revenge tragedy John Webster play, ‘The White Devil’. Flamineo is the secretary of the Duke of Brachiano. He has two siblings in the play: Marcello and Vittoria. In the early stages of the play his immoral and evil actions such as the murder of Camillo in act two scene two are defined by his position as Brachiano’s secretary, however from act five Flamineos true nature begins to emerge. He’s developed into a tragic, ruthless figure and the quotation in act five ‘’at myself I will begin and end’’ is a clear indicator of the events which are about to unfold and an insight into Flamineo’s true intentions.

The view of a critic of Flamineo is ‘’ Flamineo is utterly immoral; he will do anything, anytime, to advance himself, regardless of the cost to others.’’. This critical view of Flamineo immediately shows similarities to the critical view of Iago from the Shakespeare play ‘Othello’. Iago, like Flamineo would be willing to do anything and betray those most loyal to him in order to advance himself and promote his own cause regardless of the consequence for others. As Webster was a great admirer of Shakespeare it is like Flamineo is based on the character of Iago and there striking similarities between the two, it would be difficult to distinguish between the two.

Flamineo is a Machiavellian character, and his Machiavellian, deceitful manner makes him that much more sinister as unlike traditional evil characters who everyone is aware of, people trust Flamineo, and the trusting in Flamineo is something which Camillo pays the price for. Flamineo, like Iago, is degrading to women, even his own sister. He regularly comments on womens sexual feelings and claims women pretend to be polite and shy, however they are always up for having sex, as the following quotation from act one scene two suggests – ‘’what is’t you doubt? Her coyness, that’s but the superficies of lust most women have. Yet why should ladies blush to hear that named, which they do not fear to handle? O they are politic; they know our desire is increased by the difficulty of enjoying, whereas satiety is a blunt, dreary and drowsy passion’’ – this quotation is followed by a crude metaphor ‘’ if the buttery-hatch at court stood continually open there would nothing so passionate crowding, nor hot suit after the beverage’’ meaning if the buttery hatch was always open and was continually serving food, everyone would be food, and according to Flamineo the same principle implies with women.

Join now!

Flamineo ‘’will do anything, anytime, to advance himself, regardless of the cost to others’’, and this especially shows when he constantly provokes Camillo in jelousy, on the surface trying to make Camillo believe he is helping him, an example of this is when Flamineo says in act one scene two ‘’Come, my lord attends you; thou shalt go to bed to my lord’’ Camillo thinks Flamineo is talking about him when he actually means Brachiano. The critical of view of Flamineo willing to do ‘anything, anytime, to advance himself, regardless of the cost to others’’ certainly comes across when Flamineo ...

This is a preview of the whole essay