Examine the ways in which the political and familial contexts and relationships are established in Act I of "The Duchess of Malfi"
Examine the ways in which the political and familial contexts and relationships are established in Act I of the play. The politics of the Italian Court in the play are revealed to the audience as corrupt and unethical, also exposing the state of the English Court in this period. Webster could not have written about it directly and so it is shown through the setting in Malfi. This corruption is mainly embodied by Ferdinand and the Cardinal, who are the most politically powerful characters in the play. Their power in the Court is reflected in their familial relationships with the Duchess. The venality of the Court in Malfi is first suggested by Antonio who describes the general make-up of politics in any region using the analogy of a fountain, 'whence should flow pure silver drops' but can be poisoned at the top thereby, 'death and diseases through the whole land spread.' As it seems to have done in Malfi, as the two most powerful figures are so moraless. Antonio is also describing the effectiveness and purity of the French Court in this dialogue, which emphasises the corruption in Italy. Bosola who himself is seemingly amoral, being introduced to the audience by Antonio as the 'court-gall', directly refers to Ferdinand and his brother, the Cardinal likening them to 'plum trees that grow crooked'. He suggests that too much power and riches has made them so, but also
Consider the relative merits of each of these judgements of Act 5: The Duchess of Malfi
Consider the relative merits of each of these judgements of Act 5: 'The true tragedy is with the Duchess. When she is gone, what are Bosola and Julia, what are Ferdinand and the Cardinal but hateful leftovers.' (Evaughan) Act 5 is to be regarded as Webster's achievement of his moral purpose: to pursue to the end his theme of sin and retribution. (Federick Allen) To some extent, I agree that the "true tragedy is with the Duchess." "The Duchess of Malfi hinges around this female protagonist. Right from the beginning of the play she is seen as the 16th century Renaissance stereotype of a 'lusty widow.' The Duchess was expected to fulfil an androgynous role. She had to have the so-called 'manly' intelligence yet appear feminine and motherly. She was expected to be tough and yet submissive. The protagonist was a powerful woman but she is a woman who goes beyond the bounds of social acceptability. 'It shows a fearful madness,' giving the impression of a courageous woman in the 16th century who breaks political constraints. In doing so, she provides light to a somewhat melancholic play. The Duchess's persona is rendered as pure and dignified. She acknowledges that "Men are often most valued" when "th'are most wretched." The reader is therefore encouraged to draw a parallel between her view on men to her outlook in life. The protagonist is truly 'blind' in her 'violent
Corruption in "The Duchess of Malfi"
Corruption. The world in which The Duchess of Malfi is set is riddled with corrupt practices and people. There are 3 major types of corruption that occur throughout the play: moral corruption, political corruption and mental corruption. The idea of corruption is introduced in Antonio's first speech. He comments on how a well governed, noble palace should be, then contrasts this with the idea of a court where " some curs'd example poison't near the head, death and diseases through the whole land spread." This helps us to recognise Antonio as a noble, well-educated character who can be trusted to provide an honest view of the situation. It also points out that someone at the head of the court has caused the sickness and disease, the corruption, which has spread throughout the land. The image of water in Antonio's speech is continued through the act. The " common fountain" links to Antonio's view of the Cardinal that " The spring in his face is nothing but the engend'ring of toads," that something that appears pure can in fact be diseased, impure and polluting. Antonio is able to see through the rich tissue that has been used to hide a rotten and dead body. This is not the first suggestion that the Cardinal is a corrupt man; Bosola's claim that he "...fell into the galleys in your service," introduces the idea that the Cardinal may not be as religious and honourable as a man
In The Duchess of Malfi, Act II Scene I, Bosola says to the Old Lady: "And though continually we bear about us A rotten and dead body, we delight To hide it in rich tissue..." Discuss the corrupt world presented in the light of this quotation.
In The Duchess of Malfi, Act II Scene I, Bosola says to the Old Lady: "And though continually we bear about us A rotten and dead body, we delight To hide it in rich tissue..." Discuss the corrupt world presented in the light of this quotation. The world presented in The Duchess of Malfi is one in which morals, conventions and order are corrupt, and deception and sickness flow through the land, affecting all involved. The court is described in terms of sickness and disease, which represents the corrupt world. Antonio's first speech compares the court to a fountain 'whence should flow pure silver-drops' yet if the pureness becomes tainted 'death and diseases through the land [will] spread'. This first comparison indicates that the court nourishes the land, and the court's ruler nourishes the court itself. Ferdinand, and his brother the Cardinal are as plum trees 'growing crooked over standing pools'. It is clear that the brothers are indeed corrupt, and as authority figures, they will influence others by means of the court. The fountain and the standing pools are two contrasting images used to expose the corruption of the court. Whereas the fountain represents a flowing source of that can be infected according to it's ruler, the pools represent corruption and evil that remain in the land. The pools link to witchcraft and familiars, and in particular toads. The
How effective is "The Duchess of Malfi" as a Jacobean Revenge Tragedy?
How effective is "The Duchess of Malfi" as a Jacobean Revenge Tragedy? "The Duchess of Malfi" by John Webster holds the typical stereotype of a Jacobean Revenge Tragedy. A 'typical' Jacobean Revenge Tragedy contains conventions: - the play should be set into five acts as laid down by Seneca in his original rules of tragedy. There should obviously be a desire for revenge hence the term "revenge tragedy." There should be murders within a Jacobean revenge tragedy. The narrative should involve complex plotting. The story should centre on characters of noble birth. There should be Italianate or Southern European settings. The narrative should incorporate ghosts, skulls and madness. Lust should be a strong motivation. The plot should involve physical horrors, such as poisoning and torture. Order should be restored at the end of the play. All of the conventions set out by Seneca are relevant to the Duchess of Malfi. The "Duchess of Malfi" is set out into five acts. The narrative should be complex and it should involve complicated plotting. In "The Duchess of Malfi" the patterns of revenge often cross each other. The Aragon brothers, the Duke Ferdinand and the Cardinal move early in the play into a spirit of revenge against their sister for not following her duties of a young widow. Bosola wants to avenge himself against the Cardinal and Ferdinand for "neglect"
Critical opinion about the ways Webster presents the Duchess is divided. Some critics blame her for being irresponsible, bold and too passionate. Others praise her for her courage in fighting against tyrannical authority.
Critical opinion about the ways Webster presents the Duchess is divided. Some critics blame her for being irresponsible, bold and too passionate. Others praise her for her courage in fighting against tyrannical authority. Consider these two opinions in the light of your study of the play. What do you think of Webster's Duchess? In good pieces of literature such as Webster's Duchess of Malfi, an intriguing and captivating character should always have two sides, and with such a complex character critical opinion will always be divided. In this essay I will assess ways in which the character of the Duchess causes conflict in opinion, and show my opinion as to whether she is courageous or perhaps irresponsible. During the course of the play, the Duchess can be seen to commit a lot of irresponsible actions, ones, some might say eventually cause her own downfall and some what tragically, her death. It could be argued that the Duchess asking Antonio to marry her was an irresponsible action, she knew the society they lived in would not allow someone of her status to marry a man beneath her like Antonio, therefore some critics would argue she brought on her death herself by being irresponsible and also too passionate. At the beginning of the play, Antonio is describing how a good court should be run and sets up a contrast early on between the corrupt Italian court the play is
Explore Websters presentation of obsessive love through the character Ferdinand in The Duchess of Malfi
Explore Webster's presentation of obsessive love through the character Ferdinand in 'The Duchess of Malfi' The Duchess of Malfi does indeed have 'plenty of blood', but this is nothing unusual in Renaissance tragedies. Webster's play is a tragedy about a forbidden love, more specifically a forbidden marriage, which leads ultimately to the deaths of the lovers and many others. Webster's focus in his tragedy of love is class, or rank, to use a more authentically early modern term. Both brothers are clearly furious at the news of the Duchesses marriage to Antonio, making explicit the kind of rank that Antonio is, and how he because of it is perhaps unfit for the Duchess. Both the Cardinal and Ferdinand vent to misogynist commonplaces, evident here: Foolish men, That e'er will trust their honour in a bark Made of so slight weak bullrush as is woman, Apt every minute to sink it! (2.5.33-6) Here it can be seen that Ferdinand's anger seems different in kind from the Cardinal's. Indeed, the Cardinal is as shocked by his brother's ravings, and his alarmed responses confirm that Ferdinand's attitude to the Duchess is obsessive and pathological: 'Speak lower' (2.5.4); 'Why do you make yourself / So wild a tempest?' (2.5.16-17); 'You fly beyond your reason' (2.5.46); 'Are you stark mad?' (2.5.66). In Act 1, before the brothers gang up on their sister in an effort to bully her into
Assess the dramatic and thematic effectiveness of Act 1 of 'The Duchess of Malfi'.
Assess the dramatic and thematic effectiveness of Act 1 of 'The Duchess of Malfi'. The opening act of 'The Duchess of Malfi' is important in terms of the themes that John Webster is presenting. He uses the characters to explore such themes, and subsequently the audience are given detailed descriptions of most of the main characters. Moreover, Webster uses the characters to describe each other not only giving the audience an insight into their personal attributes, but also how each character perceives the other. Although not entirely apparent in the initial acts of the play, the fact that the audience only know about the characters from the other characters' descriptions, implies the ideas of secrecy, deception, and spying, and the general theme that there are things that the characters think they know, when in fact they don't. Antonio is the first character to be introduced, and he is initially presented as an outsider returning home from the French court, which he "admires". He has a brief conversation with Delio about the French court, and how although it was orderly, it could easily be distorted. "Pure silver drops in general; but if 't chance Some cursed example poisoned 't near the head, Death and diseases through the whole land spread." The rhyming couplet makes it almost seem like a curse, and exerts a sense of doom. This already gives the impression that the
Attitudes to women in "The White Devil" in Acts I and II
Attitudes to women in "The White Devil" in Acts I and II In The White Devil, women are portrayed in general as being weak and passive, yet are seen as manipulative or foolish by the majority of the male characters, who expect them to be devoted and dutiful wives. However, it appears to be only the females who think about consequences and the outcome of all the action onstage. Flamineo panders Vittoria for Duke Brachiano, getting rid of Camillo so that Vittoria is "let loose at midnight". Flamineo's attitude towards his sister suggests that while he may enjoy laughing with her at Camillo's expense, he will not and does not hesitate to use to her to gain favour with Brachiano. To the audience at this point, it seems that Flamineo may be manipulating Vittoria into sleeping with Brachiano, and it can definitely be said that he has no misgivings about the situation, as we see when he apparently orchestrates the entire scene, having Zanche provide a blanket for the pair. Also when Flamineo remembers Lycurgus': "men would provide good stallions for their mares, and yet would suffer their fair wives to be barren" it is clear that his idea of women is that they are for reproduction and pleasure. However, it is never stated outright how willing Vittoria herself is in participating in the affair. Flamineo himself mentions women's "politic", and it is possible Vittoria uses Brachiano's
Corruption of the court within the Duchess of Malfi
From Act I of 'The Duchess of Malfi' what impressions does the audience get of the court and how does Webster create this? Include a close analysis of a section of your choice. 'The Duchess of Malfi' revolves around the predominate themes of the Jacobean period, during the reign of King James I. England faced a leader they did not trust as seen through their pessimistic literature work. The country had been previously known to be strong and powerful whereas it was now overturned by a weak and feeble King. This era focused on tragedies where there was an emphasis upon themes such as drama, betrayal, murder, conspiracy, tainted loved, revenge and death. Such ideas came about due to the corruption of the court where the growing rule of money and greed, shifted society towards a more capitalist economy. The King had surrounded himself by false sycophants causing him to be blind to the erroneous ways of his uninformed court. These selfish acts of the king and other individuals went on to affect the entire kingdom where "death and disease through the whole land spread"1. Webster has carefully portrayed this cynical view of human nature through the impression of the court within the opening act. This is apparent through his writing techniques and structure to reflect the given context through characterisations. During the first Act, the audience is introduced to a majority of the