Characters in Duchess of Malfi - Ferdinand

Overview

- Ferdinand is the Duke of Calabria, brother to the Cardinal and twin brother of the Duchess

- He represents Webster's critique of:

- Corrupt leadership

- Abuse of power

- Patriarchal obsession with control

- As a ruler, Ferdinand uses power to dominate rather than protect

Corrupt leadership and power

- Ferdinand prioritises wealth and power over familial love

- His corruption is evident in his treatment of Bosola:

- Refuses to pay Bosola his wages

- Offers 'forgiveness' instead of money for murderers committed on his orders

- This exposes:

- His hypocrisy

- His belief that moral absolution can replace justice

Key idea: Ferdinand's authority is exploitative and self-serving

Obsession with sexual control

- Ferdinand's hatred of the Duchess sexuality drives his actions:

- He is enraged by her marriage

- He is disgusted by the motherhood

- His actions toward her family are:

- Calculated

- Sadistic

- He takes pleasure in her suffering:

- Enjoys psychologically torturing her

- Ignores Bosola's pleas for mercy

- His cruelty reveals:

- Narcissism

- Moral emptiness

Violence, emotion, and impulsivity

- Ferdinand is:

- Emotionally volatile

- Impulsive

- Prone to extreme violence

- Even the Cardinal is horrified by:

- Ferdinand's graphic plans for punishment

- This contrast highlights:

- Ferdinand as the more viscerally evil brother

Psychological instability

- Ferdinand is presented as mentally unbalanced:

- Moves between intimate moments and violent rage

- Displays erratic behaviour

- His cruelty escalates into:

- Madness

- Self-destruction

- Webster suggests that:

- Guilt corrodes the mind

Deception and surveillance

- Ferdinand is a master manipulator:

- Lies repeatedly to the Duchess

- Pretends reconciliation

- He employs Bosola as a spy:

- Weaponises surveillance

- Invades the Duchess's private life

- This reflects:

- A totalitarian desire for control

Incestuous undertones

- Ferdinand's obsession with his sister carries incestuous implications:

- His fixation exceeds concern for honour

- However, Webster presents this as:

- Superficial

- Secondary to his desire to control her inheritance

- This reduces to:

- Greed masked as morality

Warped honour and family bloodline

- Ferdinand's concept of honour is deeply corrupted:

- He believes the Duchess's children pollute the family bloodline

- Chooses murder over reconciliation

- His fixation on bloodline reveals:

- Aristocratic arrogance

- Dehumanisation of his own family

Punishment: Guilt and madness

- Webster punishes Ferdinand through:

- Psychological collapse

- The Doctor diagnoses lyncanthropy:

- Ferdinand believes he is a wolf

- Symbolises:

- Bestial nature

- Loss of humanity

- His frantic guilt-ridden speeches expose:

- A tortured conscience

- Ultimately:

- His madness leads Bosola to kill him

Key idea: Ferdinand becomes the monster he always was

Ferdinand's function in the play

- He embodies:

- Tyranny

- Patriarchal violence

- Corruption of power

- His downfall reinforces Webster's message:

- Abuse of authority results in self-destruction

- He contrasts with the Duchess:

- She retains dignity in suffering

- He collapses under guilt

Exam tip

Link Ferdinand to:

- Power and class

- Gender and identity

- Morality and sin

- Madness and guilt

- Fate as punishment