The Duchess of Malfi Key Quotes

1. “I look no higher than I can reach” - Bosola

2. “Blackbirds fatten best in hard weather, why not I, in these dog days”

• Implies while Bosola seeks advancement

  • Recognises he is limited.

    • Contrast w/ Antonio whose advancement is not limited due to Duchess’ favour

  2. Shows ambitious nature and desire to thrive despite social status

“Is like a common fountain", whence should flow Pure silver drops in general. “- Antonio

• Expresses how corruption in the govt/court will spread to the common people

“For places in the court are but like beds in the hospital, where this man’s head lies at that man’s foot, and so lower and lower”

“like plum trees that grow crooked over standing pools”

• Imagery of sickness + hospitals

• Reference to polluted hierarchy

“Let old wives report I winked and chose a husband”- Duchess

• Duchess shows some defiance.

  • Autonomy over relationship

“Diamonds are of most value, they say, that have passed through the most jewellers”

• Mocking + sly tone, implies that to be sexually experienced is valuable

‘The misery of us that are born great: we are forced to woo because none dare woo us”- Duchess

• Implies due to high status she is forced to undertake traditionally male role

“Lord of the ascendant”- Bosola

• Description of Antonio’s rising status

“A notorious strumpet”- Ferdinand

• Suggests Duchess is unchaste

“Shall our blood… be attainted”- Cardinal

• Refers to their lineage + noble blood as stained/tainted.

“My imagination will carry me to see her in the shameful act of sin… with some strong-thighed bargeman”- Ferdinand

• Preoccupation with sister can be interpreted as incestuous

• Creates perverse/generalised images of men she related with to all be of low statuses.

“The common rabble do directly say she is a strumpet”- Antonio

• Court awash with rumours that the Duchess is a wh*re

• Opinion of common people important in maintaining reputation.

“Whether I am doomed to live, or die, I can do both like a prince”- Duchess

• When discovered by Ferdinand, Duchess responds to assert political power + noble blood over feminine sexuality.

  • Recognises fate is not in her own hands

“Your shears do come untimely now to clip the bird’s wings that’s already flown”- Duchess

• Views herself as free from brother’s control as she is already marries; rejection of patriarchal power/control.

“The birds… live happier than we for they may choose their mates”- Duchess

• Observes that despite nobility, animals are more free than her; can love who they choose.

“Go no further in your cruelty”- Bosola

• Crisis of Bosola’s intentions; genuine plea to stop torture.

  • Asks for Christian penance over cruelty

“Damn her, that body of hers”- Ferdinand

• Expresses obsession with the Duchess’ physical form

“I am the Duchess of Malfi still”- Duchess

• Duchess’ defiance of brothers and society

  • Refusal to give up/give in to them.

• Of noble title, demands the respect due to her; powerful

“Giv’st my little boy some syrup for his cold”- Duchess

• One of the last images of the Duchess presented is one of motherhood and humility.

“Cover her face: mine eyes dazzle”- Ferdinand

• Sorrow at seeing the reality of his sister’s death changes from anger at the Duchess to anger at Bosola for killing her.

“Where were these penitent fountains while she was living?”-Bosola

• Bosola’s lack of remorse and repentance resulted in corruption of the state and the Duchess’ death.

“My hope of reconciliation to the Aragonian brethren”- Antonio

• Hopes to reconcile with the Cardinal and Ferdinand

  • Contrasts violent approaches

  • Naive?; more feminine? Link w/ Januarie.

“A very pestilent disease, my lord, they call lycanthropia”- Doctor

• Lycanthropy features in tragedies

• Ferdinand’s madness can be seen as a manifestation of his conscious and corruption.

“The fellow doth breed basilisks in’s eyes”- Bosola

• Basilisks: deadly glare, venom

  • Repeated as one of corruption

• Cardinal revealed as source/head of corruption

  • Ideas of religion/corruption

“I will swear you to’t upon this book… kiss it”- Cardinal

• Pervasion of religious authority

  • Demonstrates corruption + abuse of role

  • Weaponisation of religion

“I’ll join with thee in a most just revenge”- Bosola

• Potential justification of revenge

• Bosola draws strength from the concept of a just revenge

  • Webster undermines revenge as futile and flawed

“We are merely the stars’ tennis balls, struck and banded which way to please them”- Bosola

• Laments the strange and seemingly random movings of fate

  • Sees humans as merely pawns of uncaring forces

• Nihilistic; also mirrors himself- Bosola is a pawn to the brothers; idea of waste central to tragedy.

“Let my son fly the court of princes”- Antonio

• Dying request that his son be saved from the corruption and sin of court life.

• OR… request that his son will inherit the crown (what about the Duchess’ first son though…?); corruption takes on a new generation.

• Similar to Duchess in dying focus on children.

“Hold, and I will faithfully divide revenues with thee.”- Cardinal

• Cardinal bargains w/ Bosola for his life.

  • Used to a mercenary approach to life and power of his status.

“Whether we fall by ambition, blood of lust, like diamonds we are cut by our own dust.”- Ferdinand

• Like diamonds are dut with other diamonds, men kill men.

  • Ferdinand has been killed by Bosola

  • Link to Duchess’ identity ad a ‘diamond’

“Integrity of life is fame’s best friend”- Delio

• Final words of play

• Suggests it is the Duchess who will be remembered above the others as she died with dignity.