John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi

from a set with Ford's Tis Pity about religious crisis

DoM date

begun 1612, first performed 1613, 1614.

Quote about churches being like men

“Churches and cities, which have disease like to men,/ must have like death that we have” 5.3

How is religious crisis presented in the Duchess of Malfi - is the crisis mediated at all

The crisis persists but is mediated by the proposal of extant religious essence in the echo of final act and the possibility for repentance

Bevington et al - What is Webster questioning that religion could be, particularly in the context of reformational change as religion is revealed to be mediated by individual agenda and not divine power.

‘enduring institution’ - 2002

through which figures is the religion crisis streamlined through

corrupt cardinals

How does Bosola describe the cardinal and the duke - 1.1

play on edenic fruit trees - cardinal and bro as sources of violence.

“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”

What does Hutson Diehl observe about powers of observation in the play

2019 - frameworks of seeing enacted through onstage observation by other characters and the audience’s sight is constructed within these frames - actively involve them in onstage action and implicate them in passivity of witness. deceit and distrust underpinning play - compels audience to follow figures like Bosola in his observations.

cf. Antonio and Delio observe the Italian court, Bosola spying on duchess.

WHat act of the cardinal best shows his corruption and his concern for theatricality

donning soldiers vestments and making a dumbshow of the Duchess’ banishment in A3S4 - holy apparel tainted by martial clothing. brazen use of relig and holy shrine as tool of political power

How does the cardinals accompanying song to his theatrical pursuits in A3S4 exemplify the illusory nature of his power - suggests religiosity as a theatrical trick?

Lexis of artifice - ‘deck’, ‘arts’, ‘beautify’, ‘adorned’

Who makes a connection between the theatre and the church - Bevington et al

Thomas Heywood - considered social desirability of the tehatre to be anchored in the satisfaction of a ritual impulse lost to early 17th C England (2002)

WHat is the climax of the corruption in teh Duchess of Malfi - 5.5

the brothers turning on eachother

Cardinal - “Help me! I am your brother”

Ferdinand “The Devil"!”

How does Webster emphasise the Duchess and Antonio’s marriage as disastrous - 1.1 = predicting disaster as audience now Duchess’ brother feels sexual jealousy and social degradation at the thought of his sister’s sexuality 2.5, also palm allusive in context of cruifixion.

Antonio’s comment = “that we may imitate the loving palms,/ best emblem of a peaceful marriage”

How does the Duches show stoicism in the face of her own suffering - 4.2

“I am Duchess of Malfi still”

Hutson Diehl - what does he emphasise about the Duchess’ portrayal

her portrayal as a martyr (a mary or jesus figure?) - the braveness with which she faces her own death and the fact the conflict with her brothers over the legitimacy of her private wedding vow links her to radical protestant positions on ritual and auhority - aligned with english prejudices against roman clergy.

What does Antonio say when he hears that the dichess is pregnant - furthers the notion of her as a Mary figure - 2.2

“Ill presently/ go set a figure for nativity”

Diehl - what is there a lingering presence of in DoM

“the skeletal remains of monasticism” - 2019

When and where does Antonio hear an echo

A5S3 - he and Delio residing in ancient abbey - setting recalls catholic italy and postreformation england in which ruined covenants and monasteries were familiar sight

Bevington et al - what land did one of the first theatres where DoM was eprformed occupy

land where a former monastery stood - 2002

What does the echo tell Antonio

informing Antonio of the deaths of the Duchess and his children and of his own doom.

WHat does Antonio say to echo, and the echo say to him - 5.3

“Echo I will not talk with thee,/ for thou art a dead thing”

“thou art a dead thing”

How does Bosola articulate his despair in the final act, suggesting the absence of such an echo - some sort of notion of religious redemption - realising that religion is made up of dead things - past religious orders.

“we are only like dead walls or vaulted graves,/ that, ruined, yields no echo” 5.5

what is the significance of the bedroom scene in DoM - ideas around doubling and images.

the duchess looking in the mirror - symbolism of the mirror! Ferdinand appearing behind her as the same face - suggests siblinghood, doubling - the cardinal doubled by the devil.

Antonio in the dumb sho and Antonio in the dead abbey - connected with notions of effigies of children and antonio with echo - false images.