Family

Summary

This document provides a series of quotes from "The Duchess of Malfi" focusing on family dynamics, particularly the relationships between the Duchess and her brothers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal. The quotes highlight themes of blood, lineage, control, and the clash between individual freedom and societal expectations. The quotes are analyzed to provide insights into character motivations and the play's central conflicts.

Key Takeaways

• Ferdinand's obsession with the Duchess's purity and his controlling nature.

• The Duchess's defiance of her brothers and her assertion of independence.

• The contrast between the Duchess's views on marriage and custom and her brothers' expectations.

• The destructive nature of family conflict and the perversion of familial love.

Main Content

Quote Analysis

1. Quote #1:

• Cardinal: "Shall our blood, / The royal blood of Aragon and Castile, / Be thus attainted?" (2.5.21-26)

• Analysis: Ferdinand's extreme reaction to the Duchess's pregnancy reveals his obsession with maintaining the purity of his family's bloodline. He views her actions as a direct threat to their status.

2. Quote #2:

• Ferdinand: "I could kill her now / In you, or in myself, for I do think / It is some sin in us heaven doth revenge / By her." (2.5.64-66)

• Analysis: Ferdinand's inability to separate his identity from the Duchess's actions demonstrates his possessiveness and sense of entitlement. He sees her choices as a reflection of himself.

3. Quote #3:

• Ferdinand: "I am to bespeak / A husband for you." / Duchess: "For me, sir, Pray, who is't?" / Ferdinand: "The great Count Malateste." / Duchess: "Fie upon him!" (3.1.38-44)

• Analysis: The Duchess's rejection of Ferdinand's proposed match and her insistence on choosing her own husband highlight her independent spirit and defiance of her brothers' control. She wants to choose a husband for herself.

4. Quote #4:

• Antonio: "She's an excellent / Feeder of pedigrees […]" (3.1.5-6)

• Analysis: Antonio's comment emphasizes the Duchess's ability to produce heirs, which threatens her brothers' control and their definition of family lineage. (Assumption: The brothers want to control the family lineage.)

5. Quote #5:

• Duchess: "You get no lodging here tonight my lord. / Antonio: Indeed I must persuade one. / Duchess: Very good. / I hope in time 'twill grow into a custom / That noblemen shall come with cap and knee / To purchase a night's loding of their wives." (3.2.2-6)

• Analysis: This scene reveals the Duchess's playful and unconventional approach to marriage, contrasting with the rigid expectations of her brothers. She challenges traditional gender roles and customs.

6. Quote #6:

• Duchess: "For know, whether I am doomed to live, or die, / I can do both like a prince." (3.2.68-69).

• Analysis: The Duchess asserts her autonomy and political standing in the face of her brothers' threats, echoing her earlier assertion of her title, "I am Duchess of Malfi still" (4.2.132). (Assumption: This shows her political power and defiance.)

7. Quote #7:

• Ferdinand: "Thou are undone; / And thou hast ta'en that massy sheet of lead / That hid thy husband's bones, and folded it / About my heart." (3.2.111-14)

• Analysis: Ferdinand's self-centeredness is evident as he claims to be personally wounded by the Duchess's actions, highlighting his possessive nature and the destructive impact of her choices on his own well-being.

8. Quote #8:

• Ferdinand: "Damn her, that body of hers, / While that my blood ran pure in't, was more worth / Than that which thou wouldst comfort, called a soul." (4.1.117-19)

• Analysis: Ferdinand views the Duchess as a mere vessel for his bloodline, emphasizing his distorted perception of her and the importance he places on maintaining his family's purity.

9. Quote #9:

• Duchess: "I have so much obedience in my blood / I wish it in their veins to do them good." (4.2.159-60)

• Analysis: The Duchess's ironic statement reveals her defiance and her lack of true obedience to her brothers. The "obedience" likely refers to her own blood, which is the source of her brothers' envy and control.

10. Quote #10:

• Bosola: "You have bloodily approved the ancient truth / That kindred commonly do worse agree / Than remote strangers." (4.2.260-63)

• Analysis: Bosola observes the destructive nature of the family relationships, highlighting the play's central theme of familial conflict and betrayal.