Some Key Details of "The Duchess of Malfi" with a Revision Checklist

Malfi-Key details Revision Checklist	·          Revision Checklist
Par verba de presenti ambiguity
-did any relationship between Antonio and Duchess exist previously -comic: Antonio is wooed, wedded and bedded in 130 lines -marriage isn't in a corrupt church so has integrity
The French Court
-the 1st 22 lines of the play critique the French court -in 1504 when the play in set Amalfi was ceded to the Spanish house of Aragon -suggests their preference for French rule of Amalfi
How does the Duchess of Malfi fit into the revenge tragedy genre?
-characters motivated by desire for revenge -acts of torture and madness -supernatural elements -foreign setting -corrupt atmosphere -malcontent and Machiavellian -grotesque comedy -revenger morally corrupted by his act of revenge
Lady Arabella
-James' treatment of his cousin similar to Ferdinand's treatment of the Duchess -imprisoned because he disagreed with her marriage to William Seymour an Oxford Scholar
The Court of James I
-brought his favourites to London -rewarded heavily -flattered him -James highly educated, large ego -court life not as severe as under Eliz. -obsessed with hunting
Bosola made provisorship of the horse
-'i was lured to you' -'create me one of your familiars'
Danger of love/pregnancy
'dangerous venture'
Bosola and old woman scene
-focuses on her appearance- 'abortive hedgehog' then turns to the Duchess' appearance -offers light relief following marriage scene to break tension
Ferdinand's madness (stage directions)
[throws himself on the ground] [Ferdinand attacks the doctor]
Julia= independent woman
'I'll be your maintenance' 'modesty in ladies... troublesome familiar'
The dumb show and chorus
-pilgrims fulfil chorus function -fashionable at the time to have people singing- experiment with form. -focus on actions makes audience think of the consequences of his actions -some directors cut this scene -Pope 'seizing the Duchess' land is only mentioned here
Feign pilgrimage
'feign a pilgrimage to Our Lady Loretto'
Duchess in contrast with other women
-Julia makes Duchess seem more virtuous (her feelings towards Antonio are constant) -Duchess is able to defend herself -Julia called 'lady' -stereotyping of woman’s behaviour
Reputation
'the common rabble do say she is a strumpet'
Freedom
'come... to clip the birds wings that's already flown'
Ferdinand finds out
'hear me, I am married'
Social class quote
‘can his ambitious age have so much good in't as to prefer a man merely for worth?’
New world
'I have not gone about in this to create any new world or custom' 'stains the time past, lights the time to come'
Reputation
'shook hands with Reputation and made him invisible'
Corruption
-Bosola: a politician is the devil's quilted anvil
Surprise at marriage
‘Antonio? A slave that only smelled of ink and counters And n'er ins life looked like a gentleman'
Madmen
'wild consort of madmen' 'dismal kind of music' howl, screech, beasts, bulls and bears
Cariola’s death
‘I will not die’
Is Bosola a hero or villain?
-whose throat must I cut? -'Faith end here and go no farther in your cruelty'-shows regret, not entirely villainous -'Antonio? The man I would have saved 'bove mine own life?' -claims to act 'against mine own nature' -Bosola does more of the killing in the final scene -Bosola told them that the Duchess has 'fled to Ancona' -put Antonio out of 'reach of these most cruel biters'
Echo scene
-some performances do this with the actress offstage, others perform with the Duchess on stage
Aspects of play inviting mixed response
-Ferdinand’s feelings for sister -views on women -attitudes to religion -attitudes to social class
Brennan
lycanthropy.... a recognised symptom of love melancholy’
Forker
‘obsession with one's twin or shadow is a form of narcissistic self-projection’
The end interpretations
•anti- climax •'with the death of the Duchess, the interest of the play is over' (Archer) •'The end... is optimistic' (Gunby)
Structure of the play
•'uses repetitive form' which 'de-emphasizes causation in the play' (Luckyj) •'imagery... suggests a series of contrasts and parallels' (Brennan
Morality in play
•WW1 and WW2 made critics interested in Webster's moral judgements (David Gunby)
Suffering criticism
'Antonio and the Duchess take the path of obedient suffering' (Gunby)
Ferdinand criticism
•'Ferdinand is frightened by the contamination of his ascriptive social rank and obsessively preoccupied with its defence.' (Whigham) •'Obsession with one's own twin or shadow is a form of narcissistic self- projection' (Forker) •'lycanthropy... a recognised symptom of love- melancholy' (Brennan)
social criticism
•Tragedy offers a radical critique of the existing political order- Callaghan  • Duchess of Malfi presents a social and moral breakdown- Bleimann ·         ‘conflict between her low rated love and fury of her high-born brothers and her eloquent struggle to bridge the gap' (Roberta Barker)
meritocracy criticism
'Webster presents the emergent notion of meritocracy positively' ' (Inga- Stina Ekeblad)
Cause of Duchess' death
'Duchess' death' is the 'outcome of her own desire' (Frank Whigham)
What does the Duchess achieve?
'wholeness through greatness and woman-ness' (Spivack)
Bosola's disguise
'time or death confronting youth and beauty' (Luckjy)
Function of Delio
Delio:'Very formal Frenchman in your habit'. -Function of asking Antonio to describe the courtiers for audience's benefit.
Why is the French king good?
'quits... his royal palace of sycophants'
Antonio's promise to Delio
‘the natures/ Of some of your great courtiers'
How is Bosola described?
'Only court-gall' 'Bloody or envious as any man if he had means to be so'
Bosola's punishment
'Fell into the galleys in your service' 'Notorious murder'
Bosola comic moment
‘Your inclination to shed blood rides post before my occasion to use you'
Bosola sees the limit
'end here and go no further in your cruelty'
Bosola sees problem of revenge
‘my revenge is perfect: sink, thou main cause Of my undoing’
comic murder of Antonio
‘mistake as I have often seen in a play’
how is Cardinal bad?
'able to possess the greatest devil and make him worse'
Cardinal's bribery
-‘Should have been Pope, but instead of coming to it by the primitive decency of the church, he did bestow bribes’
Difference between Cardinal and Ferdinand
‘I can be angry without this rupture’
How is Ferdinand described?
‘perverse and turbulent nature’ A: ‘So quiet he seems to sleep the tempest out’
What does Ferdinand want to do to Duchess?
Violent language 'purge infected blood', ' could kill her', 'fix her in a general eclipse'
Duchess' virtue
'Her days are practised in such noble virtue'
Difference between siblings
‘Never fixed your eyes on three fair medals Cast in one figure, of so different temper’
Merit of friendship
Delio: 'old friends, like old swords, still are trusted best'
Quote on importance of rank
'Fitting a soldier arise to be a prince, but not necessary a prince descend to be a captain'
Problem of faithful service
B: s’ought to appear a true servant than an honest man'
Julia's comic scene
'hired to put love powder in my drink?
Cariola's comment on the Duchess
Cariola: 'spirit of greatness or of woman...fearful madness. I owe her much pity'
Duchess' defiance
D: 'whether I am doomed to live, or die, I can do both like a prince' D: 'Why should I be cased up like a holy relic?'
Duchess and brothers on marriage
F: 'a young widow. I would not have her marry again' F: 'a widow; you already know what man is' D: ‘diamonds are of most value that have passed through most jewellers’ ‘hands' 'Let old wives report I winked and chose a husband'
Antonio on marriage
'first good deed...the sacrament of marriage' A: 'say a man never marry, nor have children, what takes that from him?...
Pope's punishment
'the Pope, fore hearing of her looseness has seized... the dukedom'
Sex quotes
'Lusty widow' D: 'I use but half a blush in it' 'Lay a naked sword between us, keep us chaste'
Ferdinand's fantasies
F:'with some strong thighed bargeman...or else some lovely squire' (p58) F: 'who leaps my sister'
Human condition
B: 'bear about us a rotten and dead body'
Duchess pondering on death
D: ‘hold some two days conference with the dead’
Cariola overhears
'Place thyself behind the arras, Where thou mayst overhear us'
Duchess' pregnant appearance
'pukes, her stomach seethes, the fins of her eyelids look most teeming blue'
-apricots
'I have brought some apricots' 'Most vulturous eating of the apricots'
The nativity
[enter Bosola with a dark lantern] Antonio takes out a handkerchief and drops paper 'A child's nativity calculated?'
Delio's comment on Antonio
D: how fearfully shows his ambition now
Ferdinand finds out
-Cardinal and Ferdinand enter with a letter. ‘I have this night dragged up a mandrake'
Bosola's exaggerated praise of Antonio
'breast was filled with 'all perfection'
Duchess' fatal error
'This good one that you speak of is my husband'
Passing of time
'Since you last saw her, she hath had two children more, a son and daughter' 'Within this half hour'
Antonio and Cariola playful
'Let’s steal forth the room and let her talk to herself'
Duchess lies
'he hath amply filled his coffers'
Bosola about Antonio
‘put thee into safety from the reach/ of these most cruel biters'
Bosola's revenge
'put thee into safety from the reach/ of these most cruel biters'
Cardinal's costume
'Habit of a soldier'
Antonio criticises selfish servants
‘men cease to build where foundation sinks’
The dead mans hand A05
C. Bradbrook points out that ironically a dead man's hand was a charm supposed to cure madness
'Mine eyes dazzle'
Ferdinand's feelings for Duchess
Cruel treatment of Cariola
'Contracted to a young gentleman' Shows noose 'there's your wedding ring'
Antonio calls Delio his:
'loved and best friend'
Delio's plan:
-make himself 'petitioner' to 'know whether it is flying'
What is lycanthropia?
-'imagine themselves to be transformed into wolves'
Cardinal's involvement in Duchess' death
-admits in his aside that he 'counselled it'
Reference to dissolution of monasteries
-churches and cities, which have diseases like to men, must have death that we have
What is the Cardinal's fatal mistake and why?
-‘feign myself in danger’ -‘convey Julia's body to her own lodgin’g
Delio expresses hope at ending
‘Establish this young hopeful gentleman/ In his mother's right’
Why is Cardinal concerned?
-puzzled in a question about hell
Cardinal in danger
'Ha? Help! Our guard!'
Abbey description
-ruins of an ancient abbey... piece of a cloister... gives the best echo
'Pizzle'
-Elizabethan pronunciation
Stichomythia
-quick dialogue between characters