The Duchess of Malfi - Character Summary

8513 Words18 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The character of the duchess of malfi

The Duchess of Malfi - Character Summary

"The birds that live i' th' field

On the wild benefit of nature, live

Happier than we; for they may choose their mates,

And carol their sweet pleasures to the spring."

The Duchess of Malfi (3.5.18-21)

The Duchess of Malfi: Character Summary

A widow, the duchess rules her duchy alone. Lonely and in love, she

secretly marries her steward Antonio. This is done in a hand-fast

marriage witnessed by Cariola, the Duchess' hand-maiden. By choosing

to marry Antonio in secret, the Duchess neglects her duty to her

people. When she begins getting pregnant and giving birth, her people

denounce her as a strumpet. They then lose their respect for their

leader. The pilgrims in Act 4 (when the Duchess and her family are in

Loreto at the religous shrine) are the only disinterested parties in

the play. They are also the only disinterested commoners.

back to top.

"That's the greatest torture souls feel in hell,

In hell: that they must live, and cannot die."

The Duchess of Malfi (4.1.70-71)

Women as Rulers

Women rulers and the circumstances they deal with are very much unlike

men rulers and their situations. The women must worry about society's

propensities, their own feelings, and the welfare of their people. It

is much more difficult to be a woman in power than to be a man in

power. The choices women rulers make cannot be only for themselves,

and one wrong decision can spell disaster. Interested in women's

courtly power and influence?

"A count! He's a mere stick of sugar-candy,

You may look quite through him. When I choose

A husband, I will marry for your honor."

The Duchess of Malfi (3.1.43-45)

The Real-life Duchess of Malfi: Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth I ruled over England alone. She never married,

choosing to claim instead that she was married to her country. By

doing this, Elizabeth retained her authority and she was not forgotten

behind the name of a man. In spite of this, though, or perhaps because

of it, she endeared herself to her people. The Duchess, choosing love,

chooses her downfall. The Queen Elizabeth, choosing duty (her throne),

chooses the path to immortality.

"I am acquainted with sad misery,

As the tanned galley-slave is with his oar.

Necessity makes me suffer constantly,

And custom makes it easy."

The Duchess of Malfi (4.2.27-30)

The Duchess and Ferdinand

Incest, as a motive, was used extensively in various Elizabethan

/Jacobean plays including Hamlet, A King & No King, and 'Tis Pity

She's a Whore. Incest is merely implied in The Duchess of Malfi

because the queer nature of the play does not allow it to become an

absolute.

Show More
Related

  • In The Witch Of Blackbird Pond Character Analysis

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    Would you risk your life to save a lonely friend who was about to die on account of malicious gossip? In the Witch of Blackbird Pond the setting is New England along it's bleak shores. The main character Katherine is from Barbados because her grandpa had just died and she was traveling to America to live with her Uncle and Aunt who did not even know she she was coming. When she arrived her Aunt whose name was Rachel received her with open arms but her Uncle was not as open and wanted her to earn her keep. There was another character who was unmentioned for a while, her name was Hannah Tupper. Kits initial reaction to Hannah was anxiety and fear But she then softened up to Hannah. Her first interaction with Hannah was a helpful one in her time of need and self pity. The view and opinion of Hannah changed through the book from a kind old lady to admiration and unconditional love.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Paradox In A Thousand Splendid Suns

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    Power is an influence that affects people every single day. Whether it is born into or gained, it can affect the individuals that have it in their lives positively or negatively. Usually, however, it affects the individuals negatively. When it does affect the individual negatively, it is usually referred to an idea known as “the paradox of power.” In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, the paradox of power is a recurring theme, and plays hand-in-hand with gender role in the novel. The men portrayed in the novel are taught to think that they are supposed to control women and their freedom, while the women are taught to be submissive to the men. Many of the men are conservative and believe

    Read More

  • Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the American society, we constantly hear people make sure they say that a chief executive officer, a racecar driver, or an astronaut is female when they are so because that is not deemed as stereotypically standard. Sheryl Sandberg is the, dare I say it, female chief operating officer of Facebook while Mark Zuckerberg is the chief executive officer. Notice that the word “female” sounds much more natural in front of an executive position, but you would typically not add male in front of an executive position because it is just implied. The fact that most of America and the world makes this distinction shows that there are too few women leaders. In Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In,” she explains why that is and what can be done to change that by discussing women, work, and the will to lead.

    Read More

  • Preparing Women for Public Leadership: Programs and Strategies

    2898 Words  | 6 Pages

    Tamerius, K. (1995). Sex, Gender, and Leadership in the Representation of Women. In G. Duerst-Lahti & R. M. Kelly (Eds.), Gender, Power, Leadership, and Governance. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Read More

  • Women In Power Rhetorical Analysis

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    In discussions of women’s rights, one controversial issue has been women in positions of leadership. On the one hand, Goldberg argues that women should be in more positions of power. On the other hand, Pynchon opposes women in power. Others even believe that women can’t lead. My own view is that more women should be placed into positions of power.

    Read More

  • Masculine and Authoritarian Leadership in the Film "The Devil Wears Prada"

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women, on the other hand, are difficult to classify as a good leaders because in order to be a leader, we often need to sacrifice our femininity. This belief...

    Read More

  • The Duchess of Malfi: A True Villain

    1520 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Webster’s dictionary, the definition of ‘villain’ is “a character in a story, movie, etc., who does bad things” (Merriam-Webster). In John Webster’s play, The Duchess of Malfi, the plot line revolves around a duchess and her two brothers. The Duchess of Malfi is a very twisted and complicated story where the characters are not as they seem. One of the most significant parts of the story line is that the characters that appear to be the villains are not actually the villains. This makes the story complex, but eventually ties it together in unexpected ways. When first reading the play, it is easy to come to the conclusion that the duchess’s two brothers, The Cardinal and Ferdinand, are the villains. However, the Duchess lies and manipulates those closest to her for her own selfish gain. The Duchess is deceitful when she hides her marriage and hides her children even though she knows the drama it will cause in her family, which makes her the true villain in The Duchess of Malfi.

    Read More

  • Women’s Inequalities in the Workplace

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    When you think of a CEO of a company or of world political leaders, do you think of a man or of a woman? Many, if not most of us, see these positions as being held by men. In this essay, I will explain why women are still not equal to men. In the first paragraph I will discuss inequalities that happen in the workplace. The second section will show the differences that occur within the athletic world. Thirdly, I will explain the differences in education and home life. Even though we are approaching the twenty-first century, women in our society are still not equal to men.

    Read More

  • Mad Men: Film Analysis: Mad Med

    1520 Words  | 4 Pages

    Power can be interpreted in many different ways like ability to dominate, power over someone, and being stronger than someone. In Mad Men the men have the majority of the power of everyone weather that be being a boss or just dominance over someone. Men also have power over their wives and just women in general. Men in the Mad Men series the men talk to the women like they own them. While talking to women some men will ask them if someone else owns them like they are object rather than people. In today’s society women have some power rather than just men having all the power in society. Also in today’s society men do not talk to women like they are object, or ask if they are owned by another man. Although women have not completely caught up with men in the power aspect they have made very big strides, for instance a women by the name of Hilary Clinton will be running for president in 2016 and is being strongly considered by a lot of people for the next president of the United

    Read More

  • Power, Fantasy, And Subversion In Judith Lowder Newton's Pride And Prejudice

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Newton, a man's social and economic privilege and freedom confer more extreme power upon a woman, where a woman nonetheless emerges as the more powerful figures, no matter how wealthy or rich she is.

    Read More

  • Women in The Duchess of Malfi and The Changeling

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Duchess in John Webster’s tragic play, The Duchess of Malfi, and Beatrice Joanna in Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s The Changeling, are both strong women living in a male-dominated society. The two women attempt to free themselves from this subordination by choosing to love that they desire. Both pay with their lives for this chance at freedom, but differ in their moral decisions about how they attempt it. Beatrice Joanna’s plan involves murder, whereas the widowed Duchess merely lives the life she chooses, then plots to leave Malfi. Both women are forced into their actions, but, whereas Beatrice Joanna is Machiavellian in her actions, the Duchess is morally superior.

    Read More

  • male female relationships

    400 Words  | 1 Pages

    Do women have more power than men? In some ways I would say yes they do? Women seem to be more in tune to their emotions and can deal with many situations at one time.

    Read More

  • The Duchess Of Malfi by John Webster as A Revenge Tragedy

    1417 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Duchess Of Malfi by John Webster as A Revenge Tragedy “The Duchess of Malfi” is a macabre, tragic play, written by the English dramatist John Webster. It begins as a love story, with a Duchess who marries beneath her class, and ends as a nightmarish tragedy as her two brothers exact their revenge, destroying themselves in the process. The play is sometimes ridiculed by modern critics for the excessive violence and horror in its later scenes. But the violence and horror scenes give it the touch it needs to be a revenge tragedy.

    Read More

  • The Challenges Of Women 's Leadership Positions

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    When we think about how it used to be 100 years ago, the only people in leadership roles where men, and there was no presence of women. Why is it that we tend to see more men in leadership positions? Usually when we think of what a leader looks like, we tend to describe them as powerful, assertive and confidence. Because of stereotypes our society immediately labels this person as a man, due to the roles that we are expected to follow. Today, there has been a huge shift for women in leadership positions; however, there are many challenges that they still have to overcome. A process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal (Northouse, 2007) defines a leader. Moreover, leaders come in different forms whether in a professional, educational, or group setting. As a male college student and an advocate for equal rights between men and women, my understanding of the struggles that women face has a huge impact on my philosophy of leadership. The three most important concepts in this course that has resonated with me the most are double bind, and think manager-think male and glass ceiling.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Cocaine Godmother

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the beginning of mankind we have lived in a world controlled by the male species. Men are seen as strong, aggressive and powerful and therefore in the eyes of a man controlled society, they are natural born leaders. Women are biologically different than men, thats a no brainer but the question becomes whether or not different equals opposite. For a very long time the answer was yes until women began to stand up and speak out. In 1920, 72 years after the first women’s right group was formed- women were allowed to vote yet they still had to fight for equality amongst men and today the fight is steady going strong.

    Read More

More about The Duchess of Malfi - Character Summary

Open Document