ENG LIT: Duchess of Malfi AO3

When was DoM written and by who?

1614 by John Webster

What was Wesbter’s love life like?

• Didn’t really uphold Puritan values

• Had sex before marriage as when he and Sara Peniall married she was 7 months pregnant

When was James I crowned king of England?

1603 when his mother Elizabeth died

What was highly controversial about James I?

• His claim to the throne wasn’t clear cut - political uncertainty

• He was openly bisexual

• People thought he would remove restraint on Catholic worship put in place by his mother but he didn’t

• He also didn’t like the disregard for hierarchy in Protestantism

• Surrounded himself with flatterers and “sycophants”

What was James I relationship like with parliament?

He frequently argued with them and dissolved them on more than one occasion

What did James I believe about his power?

He had divine right and absolute power, he was above the law

Why was James I particularly unpopular?

• He disliked tobacco and banned it growing in England

• He then put a 4100% tax on it being imported

When was the Gunpowder Plot and what were its consequences?

• 1605 a group of Roman Catholics plotted to blow up parliament

• Showed that the fear of Catholics was valid

Name another of Webster’s work and how it was received

• The White Devil first performed 1612

• Wasn’t well received

Why is it important where Webster set his plays?

• He set them mostly in Italy which was Catholic and therefore corrupt

• Made the distinction between good and evil very obvious

• Also deflected accusations of criticising the English Court

What was Webster’s profession before being a playwright?

He was a lawyer

What were religious beliefs like in the early 1600s?

• Most were Protestant following the Protestant Reformation under Henry VIII

• Believed that those who died in despair would not go to Heaven and those who committed sins without repenting would spend eternity suffering in the fiery pits of Hell

What were the views on Class?

• It was hard to move between classes

• Expectations of people were based on societal background, heavily influenced how people were treated

What were the attitudes to theatre?

• Many ordinary people would go to watch plays

• Often rowdy

• When Puritan ideas became popular, theatre-going was banned as it distracted from our worshipping God

What was significant about where Webster’s play was performed?

• In the indoor Blackfriars Theatre

• Meant the crowd was comprised of middle and upper class people

• Targeted the audience of which he was criticising

What did John Locke say about Catholics in his “A Letter Concerning Toleration”?

a “secret evil”

Who was Frances Walsingham?

• He was a Protestant and devoted his time to overseeing Queen Elizabeth’s secret service

• Was passionate about protecting England from Catholicism

How is DoM a typical Jacobean Tragedy?

• Has 5 acts

• Has a “bloodbath” at the end

• Has stock characters eg: Machiavellian Villain (Cardinal), Malcontent (Bosola), Tragic Hero (Duchess)

What were ideas on remarriage like?

Despite the progressive nature of Protestantism, it was not seen favourably

What is significant about the Malcontent?

• Deficiencies in the status quo breed these people

• They become consumed with hatred towards those that have it all for no reason

• They complain a lot

Give two other examples of revenge tragedies

• The Spanish Tragedy - Thomas Kyd

• Hamlet - Shakespeare

Where did Webster take his ideas of the tropes for a tragedy from?

• Greek theatre and Aristotle

• This provided the idea of a character having a “fatal flaw” or “hamartia”

What are the typical feature of revenge tragedy?

• Shocking murders (and many of them)

• Someone takes up a vengeful mission as a sacred duty

• Ghosts of dead persons appear

• Machiavellian villains cause much bloodshed

• Madness

• Play within a play (dumbshow)

• Philosophical phrases

• Lots of pessimism

Who was John Knox and why was he important?

• Mary Queen of Scots wanted to allow some toleration (as did Elizabeth) but Knox hated this

• Didn’t like the Catholic belief that good works could get you into heaven

• Believed in faith alone or sola fide

How does Webster challenge the revenge tragedy form?

Duchess dies in Act 4

Give an example from the period of women threatening social hierarchies

When Elizabeth had come to the throne before James I