the duchess of malfi - act 1

what extended metaphor is used as a representation of the influence of the court

the court is compared to a public fountain, with the suggestion made that if some impurity should poison the head, the authority, then the consequence is felt by everybody

what themes are introduced by the fountain metaphor in act 1, scene 1

1. consequence, and the idea that the upper echelons of society believe they live without consequence, but consequence is a universal experience, as it is transferred to those below them in the social scale
2. decadence and its relationship with hamartia
3. the idea that power is not assigned by divine right and those in authority have the ability to be questioned and challenged, there is no such thing as absolutism except that which is reserved for God, in a society based around such infallible creatures as man
4. the false existence of altruism in the court - everyone is sycophantic and only acting for their own benefit

the fountain metaphor paints an image of the court as built upon ‘flattering sycophants’; how can this be seen as a juxtaposition of the duchess and subsequent emphasis of her nobility

there is a suggestion that the actions of those within the court singularly for the benefit of themselves, however the duchess acts as a juxtaposition to this by being a representation of connection, while the rest of the court and humanity serve as representations of desire

what is the significance of Webster choosing to set 'The Duchess of Malfi’ in a foreign court

this allows him an expressive freedom to criticise the court of his own country, with a sense of cover provided by the Catholicism of his Italian setting

what semantic field is introduced in the fountain metaphor that is ubiquitous throughout the play

death, disease, and rot

what ideas are introduced by the theme of death, disease, and rot - ==‘but if’t chance some cursed example poison’t near the head, death and diseases through the whole land spread’==

1. the decadence of the upper classes and the corruption with which decadence coexists


1. this is often shown through imagery of fruits, suggesting the gothic imagery of a rotting banquet
2. the sinful nature of desire


1. this is also shown through imagery of fruit, which is often tied to Adam and Eve, and the idea that sexual pleasure expelled them from God’s grace - twisted desire is shown as a flaw in the play - eg. nymphomania

==‘flattering sycophants’==

presents an oxymoronic presentation of those who exist within the sphere of a royal court - at once flatterers, but for no gain but their own; the existence of altruism is a myth

‘which he sweetly terms His master’s masterpiece, the work of heaven’

the confession that absolutism of authority lies not in man but in divinity

‘a most provident council, who dare freely inform him the corruption of the times’

‘it is a noble duty to inform them what they ought to forsee’

the necessity for those in power to be challenged and questioned, as a response to the fallibility of human nature; ‘what they ought to foresee’ references the divine-like omniscience with which the divine right of kings characterises monarchy, but this is juxtaposed by the idea that to be an advisor is a noble duty (regarded among heaven)

who was on the throne when The Duchess of Malfi was written and what is the significance of this

James I - the reign of James I raised questions of succession, and what it is that makes a person deserving of ascension to the throne; it is from this era that the idea of the divine right of kings became popularised

how does the plays introduction relate to the narrative of tragedy

by introducing the audience to the world of the play with a soliloquy that idealises a foreign society, the tragic element is emphasised in its elusivity

what does the fountain metaphor suggest that the court is a breeding ground for

jealousy - the positions of Antonio and Delio place them in close proximity to the court and to power and yet they are still critical of it and comparing it to another state

where is there an example of foreshadowing in the fountain speech

‘some cursed example poison’t near the head’ suggests that somebody will be targeted within the play, and ‘near the head’ can suggest their proximity to power

Bosola: I do haunt you still (10)

* death and the idea that actions have consequence that surpass the living world
* ghosts and haunting reject the idea of a Christian death in the fact that they are unable to move onto heaven
* the proximity of such a religious figure (the Cardinal) to this unholy sense of death

Bosola: miserable age, where the only reward of doing well is the doing of it (10)

this helps to cast Bosola as a character typical to Jacobean Tragedy - the malcontent; his motivations and dissatisfaction with life arise from the idea that he has not been given credit for his actions and he has been refused advancement in life

* this relates to the discussion about how we decide someone is worthy of power

Bosola: I fell into the galleys in your service; where for two years together I wore two towels instead of a shirt, with a knot on the shoulder after the fashion of a Roman mantle (11)

this serves Webster’s criticism of the attitudes of the upper classes, particularly the idea that anybody can live a life without consequence - by referring to himself as a ‘roman mantle’ Bosola compares himself to a soldier, a pawn whose instruction is to do the bidding of others, and the beginning line of this quote makes it clear that the Cardinal allows the consequence of his own actions and existence to be felt externally to himself

Bosola: blackbirds fatten best in hard weather - why not I in these dog days? (11)

the ‘dog days’ were the hottest days of summer, and this therefore relates to the theme of rot and decay, which is often associated with the upper class in this play - if the court is ripe with the uncomfortable heat of summer, then it is a place for unpleasant things to fester and grow

Cardinal: would you could become honest (11)

creates a very oxymoronic presentation of the Cardinal, who, as a figure of religious authority is intended to represent infallibility and moral purity

Bosola: I have known many travel far for it \[divinity\] and yet return as arrant knaves as they went forth because they carried themselves always along with them (11)

a key feature of Jacobean tragedy is anagnorisis, the tragic hero’s realisation of the self in all its flaws and fallibilities, and this suggests the idea of a people who are unwilling to confront their own selfs

Bosola: some fellows, they say, are possessed with the devil, but this great fellow were able to possess the greatest devil and make him worse

* the proximity between ‘divinity’ and the devil
* this juxtaposes the idea that evil is naturally occurring (relates to theological ideas questioning whether the creation of evil can be attributed to God) and suggests, by placing the Cardinal in the active role, rather than the passive role of possession, that evil is an active choice on the part of the human
* God has provided everything humanity could want for, but it is the introduction of greed and the idea that there are things humans could have that are out of his creation that introduces evil into the world

what quotes are used to reinforce the semantic field of death, decay, and imagery of rotting fruit

‘he and his brother are like plum trees that grow crooked over standing pools. They are rich and o’erladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies, and caterpillars feed on them’

Bosola: what creature ever fed worse than hoping Tantalus? (12)

Bosola makes a comparison between himself and Tantalus that reinforces his position as the play’s malcontent; Tantalus was a character of Greek mythology who was condemned to Tartarus to feed for all eternity without his hunger ever being satisfied

Bosola: for a soldier that hazards his limbs in a battle, nothing but a kind of geometry is his last supportation (12)

* injury and death are the only reward
* Bosola is referring to crutches

Antonio: this foul melancholy will poison all his goodness (13)

the theme of poison is once again reintroduced

Antonio: if too immoderate sleep be truly said to be an inward rust unto the soul (13)

not only is the theme of morality and the corruption of the soul reintroduced, the idea of sleeplessness is introduced, which plays a large theme throughout the play - much of it takes place in the hours before waking to feed the theme of deception, and there is a sense that sleeplessness comes from a battle with oneself and a discomfort with your death or immorality

what image becomes a motif in the play in act 1

the ring

what double meaning/ foreshadowing can be taken from the ring

while the ring refers to jousting, it can also symbolise the joining of Antonio and the Duchess through its marital symbolism

how is deception shown through the characters of Ferdinand and the Cardinal

when describing them to Delio, Antonio paints a picture of the plays two antagonists that suggests their personalities are constructed, allowing them to appeal to those below them and be manipulative in their image

* nobility is performance and true human nature is presented as primal

how, later in the play can we see that true human nature is presented as primal and carnal through the character of Ferdinand

through his lycanthropy

what questions are raised by the contrast shown between the Duchess and her brothers

the audience are encouraged to question whether morality is naturally occurring, as it is confusing how one sibling can be such a figure of virtue while the other two are such figures of vice - ‘you never cast your eye on three fair medals cast in one figure of so different temper’ (19)

* are people inherently bad or good
* we could answer this by suggesting that they are all led by desire - however the duchess’ experience of desire is pure while Ferdinand’s is perverse?

what techniques are used to contrast the Duchess to her brothers in the opening scenes

* extensive use of enjambment to show Antonio’s desire to keep talking about her endlessly and to characterise his speech with infatuation
* the pace is much slower when talking about the duchess which removes the sense of anxiety and paranoia that is evident when talking about the brothers

Ferdinand: Sir, I’ll take nothing from you that I have given (23)

* this shows Ferdinand comparing himself to the Cardinal to gain Bosola’s favour
* the court is a hierarchical place fuelled by motivations of self-advancement
* this can also relate to the divine right of kings because by positioning himself in the role of a giver, Ferdinand takes on a role similar to a God in that he can bestow gifts of life upon those below him
* there is a false omnibenevolence present here

Bosola: whose throat must I cut? (22)

* Bosola’s wariness in accepting Ferdinand’s proposition
* he knows that the advancement he will gain from this will be at a cost - and it will be superficial; his awareness of the fact he will have to murder suggests he is aware of the tarnish this agreement will leave on his soul
* it is Ferdinand’s bidding but the use of personal pronouns shows Bosola accepting responsibility for it
* there is suggestion made in ‘must’ that he feels his immorality is the result of not having a choice in life, as if he is morally aware but life has forced him against it
* yet his rejection of things such as horoscopes and religion (predestination) and positioning as the malcontent shows his awareness of the greed with which human nature is tarnished and his participation in it
* the structure of the sentence and its bluntness shows just how routine murder and immorality has become to him
* the court is founded on the basis of immorality

give a quote which shows Bosola as suggesting he has no choice in his actions

‘I was lured to you’ (21)

‘It seems you would create me one of your familiars’ (22/23)

give a quote which shows that Bosola recognises his own immorality and the idea that he has chosen it

‘Could I be one of their flattering panderers, I would hang on their ears like a horse leech till I were full, and then drop off’ (11)

* he characterises himself as a parasite

Duchess: shall this move me? If all my royal kindred lay in my way into this marriage I’d make them by low footsteps (27)

* representation of the duchess as dominant in such a way that rejects the misogyny of Jacobean gender roles
* ‘low’ could be a reference to her nobility suggesting that they are morally inferior to her

Duchess: ‘let old wives report I winked and chose a husband’ (27)

the phrase ‘winked and chose a husband’ gives the impression that the Duchess has rushed into this match, it is as if she is following her heart rather than her head

* following the heart is shown as ‘this dangerous venture’ - desire as destructive, and the idea that destruction can be beautiful

quotes for desire as destructive

* Antonio: ‘there is a saucy and ambitious devil is dancing in this circle’ (31) - almost satanist, as if by sexuality they have summoned hell to coexist with them
* Duchess: ‘in a winding sheet?’ Antonio: ‘in a couple’ (30) - the proximity between love and death
* Duchess: ‘make not your heart so dead a piece of flesh’ (32) - love is the only thing which can deny death
* Duchess: ‘like the old tale in Alexander and Lodowick - lay a naked sword between us, keep us chaste’ (35) - the arousal of proximity to danger, virginity and the losing of it as ruination, passion as violent and the violent as poetic and beautiful
* all of this shows that mankind has a desire for the things which destroy us - it was what we desire that is our ruination, not evil
* Duchess: ‘our violent passions’ (32)

Ferdinand: I’d be loath to see’t look rusty' (27)

the rust to which Ferdinand is referring is blood, and this could be not just a reference to him wanting to hurt her or kill her, but his obsession with her purity and virginity as a woman - blood is often linked to the losing of virginity

Ferdinand: this was my father’s poniard?

The audience’s initial reaction to this quote is shock at the juxtaposition between sister and brother shown in the perversion of human nature - it is grossly unnatural for a brother to wish to kill his own blood

This is furthered by the idea that possessive pronouns (‘we’) are used here in relation to their father, insinuating that Ferdinand wishes to rid himself of the familial bond between them; the court is one built off of disloyalty and blood has no influence; everyone’s actions are for themselves only

Duchess: I’ll never marry (25)

It could be speculated that the duchess had more to say here, but she is cut off abruptly by the Cardinal - the male need to control women, potentially because desire is seen as something so destructive

Ferdinand: you live in a rank pasture here i’th’ court (25)

This is a reference to her as living in a place of decadence and excess (ironic, because this is part of Webster’s criticism of the characters like Ferdinand and the Cardinal)

this could relate to biblical attitudes that women succumbed much more easily to temptation than men

what is significant in the repeated use of nouns such as ‘witches’ or ‘whores’

these are derogatory phrases crafted specifically for women meant to reference a woman who has denied the bounds of her female nature (as set out by God)

there was discomfort with the idea that women could experience sexual desire as well as simply reciprocation

Ferdinand: like the irregular crab (26)

Ferdinand makes the suggestion that the duchess is blinded by desire - she needs masculine input to guide her lest she become unnatural

what phrase is used by Ferdinand to both foreshadow the end of the play and to suggest a proximity between death and love

‘such weddings may more properly be said to be executed than separated’ (26)

how can the themes of love, religion, and power be linked to one another in act 1

* Webster criticises the idea of the divine right of kings (his piece serves as a criticism towards the court of James I)
* the Cardinal and Ferdinand attempt to assume a role of a God, in all His omnipotence, trying to control the other characters - specifically the duchess, who they attempt to control in terms of her virginity
* the idea of the duchess being sexually involved with anyone else is uncomfortable, especially for Ferdinand
* however, the power that Ferdinand and the Cardinal have is shown to be superficial and the true overpowering force that controls human nature and the world is desire and carnality
* this is shown through the arousal in destruction, love’s power to be destructive, and the fact that Ferdinand’s motivations are in part led by desire as he sees anyone else enjoying the duchess as a threat to him

how do we see Ferdinand’s obsession with power as led by sexual desire and a need for sexual dominance

* he sees anybody having a sexual relationship with the duchess as a threat to him
* the main way in which he tries to control her is through her virginity - in reference to those that marry twice, ‘their livers are more spotted than Laban’s sheep’ (25)
* he objectifies her, and through this perspective sees the use of her as this preserved object as her ruination
* throughout the play, he regularly imagines the character who is using his sister sexually

what is a quote for the duchess’ virginity and her brothers’ idea that she should exist as some preserved object

Duchess: ‘Why should only I, of all the other princes of the world, be cased up like a holy relic? I have youth and a little beauty’ (74) - the reference to holiness here reminds the audience how religion is weaponised

Ferdinand: ‘so you have some virgins that are witches’ (74) - oxymoron that juxtaposes purity with sinfulness

what quotes suggest Ferdinand as led by incestuous desire, by imagining himself as the man his sister is sexually attracted to

Ferdinand: ‘I’d be loath to see’t look rusty’ (27) - he is taunting her with the poniard and death, which could be symbolic of sexual taunting, and the connection between blood and virginity suggests that he imagines himself taking hers

Ferdinand: ‘methinks I see her laughing. Excellent hyena! \[…\] Happily, with some strong-thighed bargeman’ (60) - he imagines the person that she is sexually attracted to; jealousy plays an important role here; his obsession with her sexuality suggests he is imagining himself in the bargeman’s position

what does ‘methinks I see her laughing \[…\] happily with some strong-thighed bargeman’ suggest about masculinity

Ferdinand experiences insecurities related to his masculinity, as it is as if he is comparing himself to the physicality of the ‘strong-thighed bargeman’ and seeing himself as insufficient - this is why he feels he needs to exert control over her and her virginity

what is the duchess characterised as by the fact that Ferdinand imagines himself as sexually betrayed by her and the ‘strong-thighed bargeman’, and what does this suggest about femininity

Ferdinand characterises the duchess as an adulterer as he feels personally betrayed by her sexuality; this relates to Jacobean ideas about women experiencing sexual pleasure that see them as temptresses, or predatory if they are not submissive

give a quote that shows women experiencing sexual pleasure as predatory

Ferdinand: ‘Excellent hyena!’ (60) - characterises her as an animal, as a hunter in her sexuality - her laugh is shown as not a woman’s laugh but a hyena’s laugh

Ferdinand: ‘Marry? They are most luxurious that will wed twice’ (25) - her desire is shown as predatory greed in its luxuriousness and decadence

how were widows seen in Jacobean culture and literature, and find a quote to show this

they were seen as hypersexual, as suggested by Ferdinand’s line ‘farewell, lusty widow!’ (27) and the Cardinal’s suggestion in response to the duchess saying that she’ll remain eternally chaste that ‘so most widows say, but commonly that notion lasts no longer than the turning of an hourglass; the funeral sermon and it end both together’ (25)

can desire be seen as the most overpowering force in relation to the Cardinal

initially no, as the Cardinal’s main motive is a fear of his reputation being ruined, but the need for power in this way can be seen as a form of corrupt desire, even if it is not sexual - desire and power go hand in hand

what is a quote to suggest that reputation forms a large part of the Cardinal’s motivations

Antonio: ‘he should have been Pope, but instead of coming to it by the primitive decency of the church, he did bestow bribes so largely and so impudently as if he would have carried it away without heaven’s knowledge’ (18) - he wanted the title of Pope not for faith but for respect, decadence, and money

what does the quote ‘but instead of coming to it by the primitive decency of the church, he did bestow bribes so largely and impudently’ suggest about the nature of morality in the world of the play

Webster’s play is largely a critical commentary on the upper classes and the way religion is, through them corrupted, and he does this by suggesting that salvation and ascendance to heaven can be bought

furthering this… ‘carried it away without heaven’s knowledge’ relates to the idea that the upper classes believe they live an existence without consequence

how are traditional gender roles juxtaposed and how does this relate to the overall themes of the play

men are presented as weak in relation to the seduction of women (this is not entirely unconventional, but men are supposed to be dominant) - this relates to discussion about the power desire holds

in the proposal what quotes show masculinity as weak and led by desire for women

Antonio: ==‘you have made me stark blind’== (31) - places the Duchess in the active role and Antonio in the passive

Duchess: ==‘remove him’ (31)… ‘there needs small conjuration when your finger may do it, thus. [puts the ring on his finger] Is it fit?’== - use of imperatives show she is making demands of him, and she takes the typically masculine role of proposing

in reference to Antonio - ==[he kneels]== (31) - this stage direction suggests he feels inferior to her and unworthy, he kneels out of respect for her status above him and subservience

* this can relate to the discussion throughout the play of whether it is natural for women to feel sexual pleasure - he exists to please her sexually

Duchess: ==‘the misery of us that are born great; we are forced to woo because none dare woo us’== (32) - self-awareness of the fact she must take the active role

Duchess: This is flesh and blood sir. ‘Tis not the figure cut in alabaster kneels at my husbands tomb

* to control women, the suggestion is made by the brothers that her love to her husband should extend past death, and her sexuality/ desire should die with him
* the power of desire is shown in that it surpasses death
* true human connection lasts past death - the connection between the Duchess and Antonio will while her previous marriage did not
* she juxtaposes the power that the Cardinal and Ferdinand believe they have by asserting some authority and autonomy as a woman - she decides when she is alive, by explaining that she ‘is flesh and blood’, rather than some male force that does not know her who has decided that her desire is dead, by casting her as a ‘figure cut in alabaster’ like her own gravestone

what does ‘the figure cut in alabaster kneels at my husband’s tomb’ suggest about women’s traditional position in relation to men

they existed as decoration for men, even past the point of death and were expected to be devoted to them, however devotion is shown as a living thing by Webster

what are some quotes for the idea that true human connection will surpass death, while connection that is superficial and used as a means of exerting control over women will not

* Duchess: ‘I do conjure you to take your eldest son and fly towards Milan’ (92) - their love can best survive at a distance
* this idea is also shown through Antonio’s line ‘since we must part, heaven hath a hand in’t, but no otherwise than as some curious artist takes in sunder a clock or watch when it is out of frame to bring’t in better order’ (92) - the idea of divine intervention, and the idea that their parting is art, it is something beautiful
* Duchess: ‘in the eternal church, sir, I do hope we shall not part thus’ (93) - a reference to heaven, and the idea that their love will never die