lies and deciet

The Duchess of Malfi: Lies and Deceit Quotes

This document provides a selection of quotes from The Duchess of Malfi focusing on themes of deception, secrecy, and betrayal. The quotes reveal how lies and deceit operate within the play’s power dynamics, showing characters’ duplicity, moral struggles, and the destructive consequences of dishonesty.

Key Takeaways

• The corrosive and dehumanizing nature of anger linked to deceit.

• The psychological manipulation employed as a form of torture.

• Characters’ self-perception as cunning deceivers.

• The conflict between personal loyalty and duty to others.

• The duality of identity through “real” and “counterfeit” selves.

• The toll deceit takes on moral integrity and personal identity.

• The dangerous burden of holding powerful secrets.

• The fatal consequences for those who cannot manage or bear deceit.

Main Content

Quote Analysis

Quote #1:
“I can be angry / Without this rupture; there is not in nature / A thing that makes man so deformed, so beastly, / As doth intemperate anger.” (2.5.55-58)

Analysis:
The Cardinal warns Ferdinand against uncontrolled anger, framing it as a dehumanizing force. This foreshadows Ferdinand’s descent into a brutal, almost animalistic rage fueled by deceit and obsession, showing how anger and lies intertwine destructively.

Quote #2:
“Excellent, as I would wish, she's plagued in art.” (3.1.107)

Analysis:
Ferdinand prefers psychological torment over physical torture to break the Duchess’s spirit “by degrees.” This reveals his cunning and manipulative nature, using deceit as a slow, torturous weapon rather than direct violence.

Quote #3:
Bosola: “What do you intend to do?”
Ferdinand: “Can you guess?”
Bosola: “No”
Ferdinand: “Do not ask, then.
He that can compass me and know my drifts
May say that he hath put a girdle 'bout the world
And sounded all her quicksands.” (3.2.83-86)

Analysis:
Ferdinand’s arrogance in his secretive plotting highlights his self-image as a master of deceit. Bosola’s skepticism adds tension, suggesting that Ferdinand’s control is less absolute than he believes, underscoring the theme of duplicity and power.

Quote #4:
“What rests, but I reveal / All to my lord? Oh, this base quality / Of intelligencer!” (3.2.321-23)

Analysis:
Bosola struggles with betraying the Duchess by revealing her secret marriage. His inner conflict represents the tension between duty and conscience, showing how deceit forces characters into moral compromises.

Quote #5:
“Where I am a man / I'd beat that counterfeit face into thy other.” (3.5.119)

Analysis:
The Duchess condemns Bosola’s two-faced nature—the division between his true self and his deceitful “intelligencer” persona. This highlights the corrosive impact of lies on identity and trust within the play.

Quote #6:
Bosola: “Must I see her again?”
Ferdinand: “Yes.”
Bosola: “Never.”
Ferdinand: “You must.”
Bosola: “Never in mine own shape, / That's forfeited by my intelligence / And this last cruel lie. When you send me next / The business shall be comfort.” (4.1.128-33)

Analysis:
Bosola reaches a breaking point, recognizing how his role as a spy and agent of deceit has corrupted his true self. This moment reveals the personal cost of living a life full of lies and manipulation.

Quote #7:
“[…] I'll go in mine own shape […]” (5.1.68)

Analysis:
Antonio’s determination to confront the Cardinal honestly contrasts with the duplicity surrounding him. His commitment to truthfulness exposes his vulnerability and idealism in a world rife with deception.

Quote #8:
“[…] think what danger 'tis / To receive a prince's secrets: they that do / Had need have their breasts hooped with adamant / To contain them.” (5.2.251-54)

Analysis:
The Cardinal warns Julia about the heavy burden of knowing royal secrets. This metaphor shows how deceit and secrecy are not only dangerous but require immense fortitude, hinting at the tragic consequences of such knowledge.

Quote #9:
Cardinal: “[…] Think you, your / Bosom will be a grave dark and obscure enough for such a secret?”
Julia: “It lies not in me to conceal it.” (5.2.263-66)

Analysis:
Julia overestimates her capacity for secrecy, a fatal mistake that highlights the play’s fatalistic view of deceit. Her inability to keep the Cardinal’s secrets leads to her downfall, illustrating the high stakes involved in deception.