Brachiano definitely has the qualities of a villainous ‘non-believer’ taken to a hyperbolic level, severing any ties with the chaste Isabella, referring to the man that married her as just a ‘dead shadow’ of himself. Such a strong characterization plays into the psyche of the audience; especially those with faith in religion, making them question whether worldly desires are worth the suffering they will have to face in Hell. Brachiano’s character, therefore, can be juxtaposed with Isabella’s, whose death showed the evil of society, but whose faith will lead her into heaven. This contrasting set of character force the audience into a dichotomy, almost making them choose between heaven or hell, all of which is done very subtly, and with no graphic imagery illustrating either side. This concept is relatable to the dark comedy and satire in this section of the play too.
The state of Camillo’s corpse ‘folded double as ‘twere under the horse’ is possibly a sexual reference to his sexual inadequacy and a humiliating way to show that he was cuckolded. The ease at which the conjuror planned this murder and the casual tone of conversation he has with Brachiano is almost unsettling, which makes one wonder what other perverted ideas does society think of that is not shared with the public. The sense that all these characters are part of a debauched society is present again when Brachiano refers to politcians as “asses in foot cloth[s]’ and the conjuror says that Camillo has a ‘politic face’. This shows the corruption in the 1st and 2nd estate, making the audience question whether these hateful figures of government have only immorality in common. Underlying these comic dumb shows with such rhetorical questions truly makes the audience question whether it is moral to find these scenes amusing. The audiences morality is once again called into question when they desire to know more about the details of Isabella and Camillo’s death which, like Brachiano, they ‘taste not fully.’ The audience may be facing another dilemma when they consider that such injustice in society may be happening all around them, quite horrific to know that such exaggerated scenes may be very real.
Webster, therefore, has written a very gothic play, allowing the audience to pick up on the subtext in the play and let their imagination run free with his ideas, amplifying them. Stock gothic elements in act 2 contribute to this greatly. The meeting of Brachiano and the conjuror in ‘dead midnight’ already foreshadows mystery, but the conjuror’s firm grip on his ‘strong-commanding art’ leave the audience almost lost, guided only by these evil characters. Entering into the dumb shows can certainly be described as transgression as now the audience lies watching, in voyeur of Isabella and Camillo’s private lives. Our positions as observers can be classified as just as immoral as the corrupt acts we are watching; horrific if you then question if we are hypocritical in judging the characters of the play.
Light can be shed on this seemingly doomed society when the conjuror is left alone to say ‘Both flowers and weeds spring when the sun is warm, and great men do great good, or else great harm.’ Perhaps an indication, that once these murders become public knowledge, someone will respond with justice and corrupt leaders like Brachiano will be ‘weed[ed]’ out. This ends act 2 on an ambiguous note, with the audience now having to wait to learn about the effects of Isabella and Camillo’s death. Also, they are left with the consideration that religion may not provide them with what is humanly attainable, only hope of heaven once you have already died.