The Duchess of Malfi is a revenge tragedy, but Webster has used the form for much more than just its entertainment value; he has used it as a vehicle for the exploration of some themes relevant to the society of his time. Webster based his plot on a true story set in Italy, and kept the Italian setting because like Shakespeare and other playwrights of his day, he had to use politically-acceptable foreign settings in which to explore ideas such as those presented in The Duchess of Malfi, (which
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 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
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
of The Duchess of Malfi written by John Webster somewhere between 1580 and 1625. This is a story of tragic loss, desperate love, and vicious vengeance which all comes together to form one of the greatest tragedies of all time. With the timeframe that this story was produced, it becomes the duty of any English critic to compare and contrast with other works that were also produced in that time. One of these comparisons is none other than the work of the great Shakespeare. Although The Duchess of Malfi
and his wish for the death of the Duchess can be interpreted in many ways. He obviously wants to dominate her and control her, but his wish appears somewhat useless, as she has been married before, and has therefore gained her powerful status. Furthermore the character Ferdinand is notable for his exaggerated feelings and violent and abusive language. Some may feel that his characterization is so extreme that it makes it difficult to take The Duchess of Malfi seriously, but he plays a central role
Inviting Destruction in Duchess of Malfi It has been asserted that, through her willfulness, the Duchess invites her own destruction. However the assertion has to be looked at from a 17th century point-of-view, as well as a modern one. The assertion is firmly rooted in the issue of human rights, and that issue has changed and evolved an enormous amount over the past few centuries, since Duchess of Malfi was written. Society in the early 17th century was very different from ours today; then
theme of incest in ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ by understanding the social conception of ‘incest’. Talcott Parsons says-“ it is not so much the prohibition of incest in its negative aspect(maintaining sexual relations) …(Instead) Incest is withdrawal from the obligation to contribute to the formation and maintenance of supra-familial bonds on which major economic, political and religious functions of the society are dependent.” Ferdinand’s incestuous behaviour towards the duchess follows the similar pattern
John Webster's Play The Duchess of Malfi In the opening of The Duchess of Malfi takes place between Delio and Antonio, a steward of the Duchess and his friend. Webster makes his audience aware that Antonio has journeyed outside Malfi, to France. The words "France, Frenchman, French" all appear within the first four lines of the text, a blunt indicator to ensure that the audience, however inattentive, grasps the point that Antonio has been absent from Malfi. He supports this point by referring
In John Webster’s, The Duchess of Malfi, he investigates and examines the dark side of human nature. Some of the common dark qualities of humans are murder, treachery, and corruption. As humans we possess two different kinds of perceptions; the positive, that represents the good in us, and a darker nearly evil side. A person with a standard set of morals and values has the ability to defeat and even overcome the darkness that lies within us. The extremes of cruelty one human can inflict on another
suggest he is a convincing character, Bosola, at times, falls into set roles of the Jacobean Tragedy; malcontent, satirist and avenger. Webster uses Bosola to fulfill these conventions of the genre and to direct and drive the plot, especially after the Duchess' death. Even though Webster uses Bosola in this way, he is more than a mere tool as his character extends beyond the established roles of the genre, giving a more complete character. Bosola's inconsistency makes him different to some of the other
The Sin of Pride Exposed in King Lear, and The Duchess of Malfi In this brief monograph, we shall be hunting down and examining various creatures from the bestiary of Medieval/Renaissance thought. Among these are the fierce lion of imperious, egotistical power, a pair of fantastic peacocks, one of vanity, one of preening social status, and the docile lamb of humility. The lion and the peacocks are of the species known as pride, while the lamb is of an entirely different, in fact antithetical
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
someone in authority”, so it is no surprise - considering the beliefs of the contemporary societies - that it is a prevalent theme in Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ and Webster’s ‘The Duchess of Malfi’. Both texts revolve around the disobedience of a central character, Eve in ‘Paradise Lost’ and The Duchess in ‘The Duchess of Malfi’, both authors intelligently explore the inevitable consequences of disobeying those higher than yourself. In Paradise Lost, Women’s inability to control themselves leads to disobedience
John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi is an illustration of the unequal power relations between the sexes during the sixteenth century. In the play the brothers Ferdinand and the Cardinal are shown as men who want to control their sister the Duchess by not letting her remarry. Out of this situation emerges the Duchess who, in spite of her promise not to marry again (p. 1298), will do the complete opposite, thus defying male power. Her conversation with Antonio (lines 317-61, pp. 1292-3)
The Duchess in John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi decides she no longer wishes to live under anyone and takes it upon herself to get remarried. Despite numerous warnings from her siblings, the Duchess attempts to claim control over her life. Her attempt, unfortunately, fails due to several factors such as her physical body, her family, and her status. This begs the question of who in this power struggle truly owned the Duchess, if not herself. Throughout Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi, readers
Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca, however on the other hand he challenges this view by portraying these women as individuals in their own right who are beginning to break away from male control. Similarly Webster’s ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ deconstructs Jacobean stereotypes of women by presenting the Duchess as a powerful Renaissance woman who has the qualities of both a man and a woman. In comparison Verdi’s Desdemona does not challenge sexism to the same extent because she presents the stereotypical 19th century
Consequences of Ambition Exposed in Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and The Duchess of Malfi Twenty-first century America praises the ambitious. The American dream urges us to set lofty goals and then rely on the Protestant work ethic to achieve them-regardless of potential obstacles. Parents encourage their children to consider any and every career choice. Companies and schools stress goal-setting and celebrate productivity. Even a contemporary catchphrase like "The sky's the limit" or the
“Defining/ Confining the Duchess: Negotiating the Female Body in John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi.” Studies in Philogy 87.2 (1990): 221-245. Theodora Jankowski’s article argues that despite the Duchess’ failure to create a “successful means by which she can rule as a woman sovereign”, she defies “Jacobean society’s views” (Jankowski 222) concerning the depiction of the female body and sexuality. The contradictions in the notion of a female ruler are explored in the ways the Duchess is presented using
John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi and Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock each feature females as the dominate characters, but represent them in very different ways. In Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi it is made clear and significantly expresses how being vigorous, prideful and independent are not solely male characteristics, but assist in empowering women. In Pope’s The Rape of the Lock he presents women of circumstance and their over the top reactions to events that are superficially inconsequential