john webster, the duchess

8/18/2019 John Webster, The Duchess

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John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi:love and marriage in the Malfi court

Learning outcomes.........................................................................................................3

Introduction....................................................................................................................3

Description.............................................................................................................

!ct ": setting the scene..................................................................................................#

$ourts ideal and real...................................................................................................%

Discussion..............................................................................................................%

Description...........................................................................................................""

&osola the malcontent..............................................................................................""

Discussion............................................................................................................"'

Marriage for love: famil( opposition......................................................................."3

Discussion............................................................................................................"3

Love and marriage: !ntonio the ste)ard................................................................. "#

Discussion............................................................................................................"%

Love and marriage: the Duchess.............................................................................."*

Description..........................................................................................................."+

Description...........................................................................................................'"

Discussion............................................................................................................'3

!ct ': discover(........................................................................................................... '#

erdinand..................................................................................................................'#

Discussion............................................................................................................'%

$onclusion....................................................................................................................'*

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-eferences.................................................................................................................... '*

urther reading............................................................................................................. '+

!c no)ledgements...................................................................................................... '+

Don/t miss out......................................................................................................'+

0e1t steps..................................................................................................................... '+

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Learning outcomes!fter stud(ing this unit (ou should be able to:

• understand the treatment of the themes of love and death in !cts " and ' ofJohn Webster/s pla( The Duchess of Malfi

• e1amine other related themes and concerns of !cts " and '

• carr( out te1tual anal(sis

• recognise some of the historical conte1ts of the pla(.

IntroductionJohn Webster 2 c."#* 4 c."%3 5 )as 6ha espeare/s contemporar(, though si1teen (ears(ounger. 7e ma es a brief appearance in the "++* film Shakespeare in Love as a bo()ho tortures mice, spies on 6ha espeare/s love8ma ing, and feels inspired to ta e upthe pen himself after seeing 6ha espeare/s blood8soa ed revenge traged(, Titus

Andronicus . 9 lent( of blood. That/s the onl( )riting/, he asserts. This affectionate but crude caricature testifies to Webster/s reputation for )riting dar and violent pla(s. ;et it also testifies to the enduring popularit( of those pla(s. 6ha espeare hadman( gifted colleagues in the pla(8)riting business, but onl( t)o 4 Webster and$hristopher Marlo)e 2"#% 4"#+35 4 are graced )ith roles in this enormousl( popularmainstream movie about the late si1teenth8centur( theatre scene. This unit )ill loo atWebster/s most )ell8 no)n pla(, The Duchess of Malfi , and consider some possiblereasons for the pla(/s continued prominence in the t)ent(8first8centur( theatrerepertoire.

The Duchess of Malfi does indeed have 9plent( of blood/, but this is nothing unusualin -enaissance tragedies. Webster/s pla( is a traged( about a forbidden love, morespecificall( a forbidden marriage, )hich leads ultimatel( to the deaths of the loversand man( others. Webster/s focus in his traged( of love is class, or ran , to use a moreauthenticall( earl( modern term. 7istorians of the period often prefer the term 9ran /on the grounds that it better captures relationships in a highl( stratified societ( )herethe vertical ties of patronage and deference )ere strong and class consciousness

poorl( developed in social groups belo) the level of the ruling elite. &oth terms )ill be used in this unit. !t the centre of The Duchess of Malfi stands a heroine rather thana hero, )hich is fairl( unusual in -enaissance traged(. The pla( also contains ane1tremel( enigmatic and sinister villain. This unit )ill e1amine ho) Websterrepresents his heroine/s marriage for love, )hich goes against the )ishes of heraristocratic famil( )ith disastrous conse


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This is a colour photograph of a printed title page. The te1t on it, centred and in avariet( of lettering, reads: 9The Traged( of the Dutchesse of Malf(. !s it )as

resented privatl(, at the &lac 8 riers= and publilobe, &( the ?ingsMa@esties 6ervants. The perfect and e1act $opp(, )ith diverse things printed, that thelength of the la( )ould not beare in the resentment. Written b( John Webster. 7ora

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long time for this crucial episodeE What is achieved b( structuring the scene in this)a(E $learl(, b( the time the marriage unfolds onstage, )e are in possession of agood deal of information about the dramatic )orld in )hich it is ta ing place.Webster, it seems, is providing us )ith a dramatic conte1t against )hich to respond tohis representation of love and marriage. In the first section of this unit, I )ill consider

ho) Webster sets the scene for the Duchess/s forbidden marriage, before going on toe1amine his depiction of this important moment in the pla(.

Courts ideal and real

The pla( opens )ith an e1change bet)een !ntonio and his friend Delio. !ntonio has been a)a( in rance and Delio as s him )hat he thought of the court of the rench

ing.

Activity 1

7o) does !ntonio repl( to his friend/s


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should be pure, but if it is poisoned 2i.e. corrupt5, it spreads its contagion throughoutthe land.

In the main, the passage is t(pical blan verse, )hich means unrh(med lines of iambic pentameter. That is, the lines of verse in general do not rh(me and have ten s(llables

each, five stressed 2in bold5 and five unstressed, arranged in the follo)ing pattern: dedum , de dum , de dum , de dum , de dum . Ane of the effects of emplo(ing this fairl(regular metre is that deviations from it tend to stand out. Loo , for e1ample, at thefollo)ing passage:

but if/t chance6ome cursed e1ample poison/t near the head,Death and diseases through the )hole land spread.

2"."."34"#5

Line " is metricall(


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Wh( do (ou laughE Methin s (ou that are courtiers should be m( touch)ood, ta efire )hen I give fire, that is, laugh )hen I laugh, )ere the sub@ect never so )itt(.

2"."."'G43 5

We could hardl( have a clearer indication of ho) far the Italian courts fall short of the9fi1ed order/ described b( !ntonio: in place of a rational prince advised and guided b(honest advisors, )e have a prince )ho surrounds himself )ith courtiers )hose sole

purpose is to flatter his ego )ith their obseree for Royal Gift 5 2"#++5. The

boo is addressed to his eldest son and heir rince 7enr(, and advises him to ta egreat care in choosing his chief courtiers:

see that the( bee of a good fame and )ithout blemish: other)ise, )hat can the peoplethin eE but that (ee have chosen a companie unto (ou according to (our o)nehumour, and so have preferred these men for the love of their vices and crimes that (e

no) them to be gu(ltie of H !nd ne1te, see that the( be indued )ith such honest


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igure ' !ttributed to William Lar in, George Villiers , c."%"%, oil on canvas, ' % ""+ cm. 0ational ortrait >aller(, London. hoto: 0ational ortrait >aller(. >eorgeKilliers, the irst Du e of &uc ingham, )as one of James I/s po)erful favourites.

Description

This full8length colour portrait depicts Killiers standing )ith one hand resting on acloth8covered table to the left and his other hand on his hip. 7e is formall( and ver(richl( dressed in a )hite doublet and pump in breeches beneath an ornatel( drapedred velvet over8garment. 7is legs appear bare, )ith a @e)elled garter beneath one

nee= and he )ears heeled shoes, fastened )ith fanc( rosettes. 7is face, in half8 profile, is framed b( a starched lace collar= and his dar hair is s)ept bac . 7eav(s)ags of purple curtain hang on either side, giving the )hole portrait the air of beinghighl( staged.

Bnd of description

Bosola the malcontent

In placing the action of his pla( )ithin a corrupt courtl( setting, Webster is alsoadhering to one of the main conventions of the dramatic genre to )hich The Duchess of Malfi is usuall( thought to belong: revenge traged(, an enormousl( popular genrein si1teenth8 and seventeenth8centur( Bngland. rom Thomas ?(d/s The Spanish Tragedy 2c."#*G5, one of the earliest and most influential of this group of pla(s,through 6ha espeare/s a!let 2"% "5, the most famous of all revenge tragedies, to alater e1ample of the genre li e Thomas Middleton/s The Revenger"s Tragedy 2"% %5,revenge tragedies consistentl( present their audience )ith the spectacle of decadentcourts and irresponsible, often criminal, rulers. The deficiencies of the status


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&osola attac s the $ardinal and erdinand for presiding over a courtl( environment)here lo(al service reaps no re)ard, )here onl( 9flatt/ring panders/ prosper 2".".# 5.7is language is e1traordinaril( colourful and energetic, due in large part to the similesand metaphors he uses. 7e begins b( li ening the brothers to 9plum trees that gro)croo ed over standing pools/ 2".".# 4"5 and then goes on to e1plain the simile:

ho)ever 9rich/ and 9o/erladen )ith fruit/ the( are, the fact that the( stand overstagnant )ater means that onl( 9cro)s, pies and caterpillars feed on them/ 2".".#'435.The 9standing pool/ presents an obvious contrast to !ntonio/s clear and flo)ingcourtl( fountain, )hile the 9cro)s, pies and caterpillars/ are metaphors for the ind ofcourtl( parasites that flourish under the $ardinal and erdinand. &( identif(ing them)ith scavengers and insects, &osola manages to conve( both their contemptibilit( andtheir voracious appetite for the re)ards that come )ith princel( favour. This t(pe ofimager( continues in his ne1t simile: 9$ould I be one of their flatt/ring panders, I)ould hang on their ears li e a horse8leech till I )ere full, and then drop off/ 2".".#34 #5. &osola/s similes and metaphors vividl( capture the brothers/ enormous po)er and)ealth, along )ith the greed( ambition of courtl( suppliants. 7is speech is in prosenot verse, but that in no )a( diminishes its linguistic richness. !n( actor pla(ing the

part of &osola )ould need to let the character/s linguistic energ( and bitterness guidehis deliver( of the lines.

Bnd of discussion

Li e !ntonio, &osola is lo)8born, and therefore entirel( dependent for materialsuccess on the patronage of his social betters. 7is role thus contributes significantl( toan important aspect of the pla(: its e1amination of class relations in a highl( stratifiedsociet(. &osola/s )it and satirical edge are throughout the pla( levelled at a patronages(stem that re)ards toad(ing rather than merit. ;et the pla( ma es clear the invidious

position he is in. Indeed, !ntonio has alread( given us his opinion of &osola:

(et I observe his railingIs not for simple love of piet(,Indeed he rails at those things )hich he )ants,Would be as lecherous, covetous, or proud,&lood(, or envious, as an( man,If he had means to be so.

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&osola is torn bet)een an acute a)areness of the social and moral deficiencies of the patronage s(stem and a longing for social advancement that binds him to it. 7is visionof himself as a horse8leech, greedil( suc ing the brothers/ blood until he drops off,captures something of this doubleness: he ma( despise the (es8men )ho thrive in thecourtl( milieu, but at the same time he )ants to share in the material prosperit( the(en@o(. &osola has in common )ith Iago from William 6ha espeare/s #thello hisstatus as a disgruntled servant, though Webster invests his version of this charactert(pe )ith a level of moral a)areness absent from 6ha espeare/s viciousl( resentfulensign.

Marriage for love: family opposition

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7aving alerted us to the autocratic and criminal propensities of the $ardinal anderdinand, Webster goes on to inform us in the opening scene of their opposition to

the idea of their )ido)ed sister/s remarr(ing.

Activity 3

7ave another loo at lines '+*43 . Tr( to identif( t)o reasons for the $ardinal/s anderdinand/s hostilit( to the prospect of their sister/s marr(ing a second time.

Discussion

7ere/s )hat I/ve come up )ith:

". &oth brothers seem to be )orried that their )ido)ed sister )ill succumb totemptation and underta e a marriage that damages the famil( honour.

'. The( also appear to be afraid that because she is a )ido) she is more li el( to)ant to marr( a second time.

Bnd of discussion

This is another aspect of the pla( that is )orth)hile e1amining in its historical andcultural conte1t. The brothers/ attitudes tell us a great deal about earl( modern ideasabout )omen and famil( honour. Their fears are in large part fuelled b( an1ietiesabout female se1ualit( in general and of )ido)s in particular. Women in earl(modern Bngland )ere )idel( thought to have a much stronger se1ual appetite than

men, )hich is one of the main reasons the( )ere often feared as untrust)orth( and)h( chastit( )as so insistentl( invo ed as the cardinal feminine virtue. This is thean1iet( voiced so poignantl( b( Athello )hen he e1claims: 9A curse of marriage, FThat )e can call these delicate creatures ours, F !nd not their appetites/ 26ha espeare,' * "%'' , 3.3.'G"435. erdinand e1presses this misog(nistic commonplace )henhe sa(s to the Duchess: 9!nd )omen li e that part )hich, li e the lampre(, F 7athne/er a bone in/t 2".".3 4"5, his reference to the lampre(, a t(pe of eel, containing a

ba)d( suggestion of 9penis/. Wido)s, as se1uall( e1perienced )omen, )ere thoughtto be especiall( susceptible to this feminine vice. !s the )riter Joseph 6)etnam put itin his )or The Arraign!ent of Le$d% &ro$ard and 'nconstant (o!en 2"%"#5, 9it ismore eas( for a (oung man or maid to forbear carnal acts than it is for a )ido)/

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accordance )ith her famil(/s )ishes. This is a prospect that clearl( )orries the$ardinal, )ho )arns his sister not to 9ta e (our o)n choice/ 2".".3''5. The Duchess/s

position as a female ruler onl( e1acerbates her brothers/ concerns about her capacit(to act independentl( of their )ishes. Their repeated references to the dangeroustemptations of the courtl( life 4 9;ou live in a ran pasture here, i/th/court/ 2".".3"'5

and 9I )ould have (ou to give o/er these chargeable revels/ 2".".33G5 4 disclose theirunease )ith the po)er she )ields as a duchess )ho presides over her o)n court.

&oth brothers are concerned about famil( honour, but )hat precisel( )ould ma e asecond marriage dishonourableE 0either erdinand nor the $ardinal sa(s outright that)hat the( fear is that their sister )ill marr( 9beneath her/, but this uneasiness aboutran is strongl( implied in the advice the( give her:

!"DI#A#D

;ou are a )ido):;ou no) alread( )hat man is, and thereforeLet not (outh, high promotion, elo


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threatened b( men li e !ntonio, an able administrator )ho, as )e )ill soon learn,captures the heart of a high8born )oman more impressed b( merit than ran .

6o the brothers/ attitude to the Duchess/s marr(ing again is determined not @ust b(their ideas about )omen but also b( their ideas about class boundaries and the nature

of marriage. The( share misog(nistic vie)s of the se1ualit( of )ido)s and the patriarchal assumption that the( have the right to dictate their sister/s se1ual destin(.&ut these attitudes are all bound up )ith their belief that marriage is a union bet)eena man and a )oman )hich should be chosen not b( the individual but b( the famil(,and not for reasons of love but )ith a vie) to enhancing famil( po)er andmaintaining elite e1clusivit(. &( the time Webster )rote The Duchess , this conceptionof marriage )as ver( much associated )ith the upper classes. It is important torecognise that there )as an alternative vie) available, often called the companionateideal of marriage, )hich 2as its name suggests5 placed love and compatibilit( abovethe demands of famil( honour. This ver( different notion of marriage derived from the

rotestant belief that marriage )as an essential ingredient of human happiness and, assuch, had to be built on a foundation of mutual love and respect. !s an earl(seventeenth8centur( commentator put it: 9!s for love, it is the life and soul ofmarriage, )ithout )hich it is no more itself than a carcass is a man= (ea, it isuncomfortable, miserable and a living death/ 2William Whatel( 2"%"G5


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scene that he reall( is the ob@ect of his emplo(er/s desire. &( investing the figure ofthe ste)ard )ith so much authorit(, Webster is presenting a direct challenge to theelitism and caste pride represented b( the Duchess/s brothers.

!ntonio/s descriptions of the $ardinal and erdinand serve to enhance our

understanding of the ind of social and political rottenness the brothers embod(. Whathe stresses is the gap bet)een their inner and outer selves. !ccording to !ntonio,)hile the $ardinal ma( pla( the role of 9brave fello)/ )hen in compan( 2"."."#+5,underneath he is 9a melanchol( churchman/ 2"."."% 5 given to inveterate plottingagainst his enemies and not averse to bribing his )a( to the top of his profession.

erdinand, in a similar fashion, acts the part of suave -enaissance prince, but beneaththe surface lies a 9most perverse and turbulent nature/ 2"."."G%5. In his role as @udge,he pretends 9to sleep o/th/bench F Anl( to entrap offenders in their ans)ers/ 2"."."*'4 35. Through !ntonio, then, the pla( identifies both brothers )ith a talent fordissimulation= the( are actors )ho use performance to control and dominate others.

Activity %

Loo no) at lines "+#4'"G of !ct ", 6cene " and tr( to ans)er these t)o


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etrarchan love poetr( usuall( too the form of the sonnet 4 a " 8line poem in iambic pentameter )ith a comple1 rh(me scheme 4 and had numerous conventions, one of)hich )as a strong tendenc( to idealise the loved ob@ect. Loo at this fairl( t(picale1ample b( Bdmund 6penser 2 c."##'4"#++5, )hich is sonnet 3 from his sonnetse


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What of the Duchess herselfE !ccording to $lifford Leech and James L. $alder)ood,in studies of the pla( produced in the "+# s and "+% s, she is portra(ed in accordance)ith the stereot(pes of the highl( se1ed )ido) voiced b( her brothers, and hermarriage to !ntonio is depicted as )ilful, )anton and irresponsible 2-ab in, "+%*, pp.G#4+, +35. Do (ou agreeE We )ill address this


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igure 3 7elen Mirren as the Duchess in The Duchess of Malfi , dir. !drian 0oble2Manchester -o(al B1change, "+* 5. hoto: hotostage.

Description

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This colour photograph pictures its sub@ect in half8length portrait format. Mirren asthe Duchess is brightl( lit against a blac bac ground. 7er lo)8cut blac dress has atight panel across the bodice, cross8hatched )ith )hite embroider(. The same patternis repeated on tight8fitting lo)er sleeves. ! high blac collar, heavil( overlaid andscalloped )ith )hite lace, stands up from the scooped nec of the dress, forming a

circular shape behind Mirren/s head. 7er hair is up, )ith curls emerging at the front beneath an ornate, @e)elled tiara. 7er gaCe is directed to)ards the right, and here1pression neutral.

Bnd of description

Webster, then, appears to have no o, go brag F ;ou have left me heartless, mine is in (our bosom/ 2".". #'435 4 and revealing that it is rooted in her perception and appreciation of !ntonio/s virtues:

If (ou )ill no) )here breathes a complete man 4 I spea it )ithout flatter( 4 turn (our e(es!nd progress through (ourself.

2".". 3+4 "5

The marriage itself is represented in terms of harmon( and mutualit(. &oth charactersneel and spea lines that evo e strongl( companionate ideas of marriage: the 9sacred

>ordian/ not that cannot be untied 2".". *'5= the music of the 9spheres/ 2".". *35= the9loving palms/ that 9ne/er bore fruit divided/ 2".". *#, *G5. The deliver( of the lines,

the fact that the( are performed as a ind of duet )ith the Duchess and !ntonio

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echoing and completing one another/s images, reinforces the couple/s mutualaffection.

igure Bmblem of loving palms as a s(mbol of a good marriage, in $ats, J. 2"%#G5 *!+le!ata Moralia et #econo!ica , in Alle de (erken van ,ako+ -ats , !msterdam.

hoto: &( permission of the olger 6ha espeare Librar(, Washington, D.$..

Description

This is a reproduction of a blac 8and8)hite print from an emblem boo . T)o palmtrees are pictured )ithin a circular frame inside a s


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verbal clues as to the fate of this forbidden union during the courtship and marriage.We have seen that the Duchess is forced to dissemble her intentions at the start of the)ooing, but her pretence that she is ma ing her )ill seems a desperatel( ominousstart to the courtship, and the language at this point, )ith its tal of the 9deep groansand terrible ghastl( loo s/ of the d(ing, and the 9)inding sheet/ in )hich a corpse )as

)rapped 2".".3*3, 3+35, underlines @ust ho) ill8fated this marriage for love )ill prove.Webster/s language subtl( (o es love and death, alerting the spectators to the dangersa)aiting the lovers, even if the heroine herself chooses to dismiss them.

Activity (

-ead the Duchess/s speech that follo)s erdinand/s e1it at line 3 # and precedes$ariola/s entr( at 3#3. 7o) )ould (ou characterise the mood of this passageE

Discussion

I )ould sa( that the mood of the speech is e1traordinaril( defiant. We have @ust hearderdinand and the $ardinal threaten to punish a second marriage, but as soon as the

Duchess is alone onstage, she dismisses them )ith )ithering contempt:

If all m( ro(al indredLa( in m( )a( unto this marriageI/d ma e them m( lo) foot8steps ...

2".".3 #4G5

The lines imagine her ro(al indred as a literal obstacle bloc ing her path to 9thismarriage/, an obstacle she simpl( turns to her advantage, using them as 9lo) foot8steps/ to the altar. The Duchess/s sentence carries on for another si1 lines, most of)hich are ta en up )ith an e1tended simile in )hich she ma es an analog( bet)eenherself and 9men in some great battles/ )ho 9 b ( apprehending danger haveachieved F !lmost impossible actions/ 2".".3 *, 3 +4# 5. !s in the opening lines ofthe speech, the Duchess ac no)ledges the problem but determines to use it to heradvantage, @ust as men in battle sometimes do, facing danger and thereb(transforming their fear into courage and valour.

Bnd of discussion

The Duchess is entering imaginativel( into a masculine )orld of militar( heroism thatshe has onl( heard about: 9I have heard soldiers sa( so/ 2".".3# 5. 7er se1 ma(e1clude her from this )orld, but her high ran connects her to it, for )ar hadtraditionall( been the chief vocation of the male aristocrat, as erdinand indicatesearlier in the scene )hen he as s impatientl( 9When shall )e leave this sportiveaction and fall to action indeedE/ 2".".+34 5. We can hear the note of class pride in theDuchess/s speech: the eas( sense of superiorit( that fuels the metaphor of her 9ro(al

indred/ as nothing more than 9lo) foot8steps/= the self8assertiveness of herdeclaration 96o I, through frights and threat/nings )ill assa( F This dangerous venture/2".".3#"4'5. When !ntonio, later in the scene, as s 9&ut for (our brothersE/ 2".". G'5,the Duchess replies:

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Do not thin of them.!ll discord, )ithout this circumference,Is onl( to be pitied and not feared.

2".". G'4 5

This is a pattern that )ill be repeated throughout !cts ' and 3 in moments of danger,as the Duchess see s to reassure her husband, )ho consistentl( feels helpless andover)helmed b( the course of events. !ntonio seems to recognise the genderconfusion )hen he sa(s to his ne) )ife: 9These )ords should be mine/ 2".". G%5.

6o the pla(, )hile staging a cross8class marriage, never loses sight of the classdifferences of the couple and the )a( this s e)s traditional gender roles. The Duchessma( marr( the ste)ard she admires as 9a complete man/ 2".". 3+5, but she remainsver( much an aristocrat. This brings us to the ve1ed


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In !ct ", Webster constructs a dramatic )orld dominated b( a morall( impoverishedaristocratic elite obsessed )ith controlling their sister/s se1ualit( and policing theclass boundar( that sets them apart from those lo)er do)n the social scale. It isagainst the bac drop of this poisonous courtl( milieu that the marriage bet)een theDuchess and !ntonio ta es on such positive meanings, and becomes a vehicle for

upholding a vie) of marriage based on mutual love and compatibilit( and the right ofa )oman to determine her o)n se1ual destin(, independentl( of her male relations.There is nothing glib or sentimental in Webster/s endorsement of these values= the

pla( does not pretend that love provides a simple solution to disparities of ran , fore1ample. ;et to a ver( real e1tent, Webster dra)s on the conventions of stage comed(in !ct " of The Duchess , presenting us )ith an obstacle to true love, in the form offamilial disapproval, and inviting s(mpath( for the lovers )ho def( that authorit(. ;etthe pla( is too dar and its authorit( figures too sinister to sustain much hope of acomic denouement, and Webster/s language steadil( reminds us that in this pla( loveand death are ine1tricable.

Act 2: discovery 0ine months elapse bet)een !cts " and ', and the bul of the second act is ta en up)ith &osola/s attempt to determine )hether or not the Duchess is pregnant. An thislevel, the pla( stresses her femaleness: )e see her pregnant onstage, devouringapricots, )atch her go into labour and then hear, at the close of !ct ', 6cene ', thatshe has given birth to a son. The pla(, then, highlights not onl( her role as duchess,

but also her roles as )ife and mother, emphasising the fertilit( of the marriage.

The danger of the couple/s position is conve(ed through the desperate and ultimatel(futile attempts to eep the birth of the child a secret. &( the end of the act, erdinandand the $ardinal have received &osola/s letter informing them of the birth of theDuchess/s son.

erdinand

&oth brothers are clearl( furious at the ne)s, ma ing e1plicit the ind of ran 8baseddis


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tempestE/ 2'.#."%4"G5= 9;ou fl( be(ond (our reason/ 2'.#. %5= 9!re (ou star madE/2'.#.%%5.

Activity )

7o) did (ou respond to erdinand/s conduct in this sceneE Did it surprise (ou, or do(ou thin that Webster/s characterisation of the Du e of $alabria in !ct " la(s thefoundations for his conduct hereE >o bac through !ct " and see if (ou can find an(suggestions of the ind of mental instabilit( represented in this scene.

Discussion

In !ct ", before the brothers gang up on their sister in an effort to bull( her intosubmission, erdinand tells &osola that he 9)ould not have her marr( again/2".".'%'5. This blan et hostilit( to a second marriage goes be(ond an(thing voiced b(the $ardinal, )ho is much more concerned about the prospect of an inappropriateunion. In repl(, &osola sa(s onl( 90o, sirE/ 2".".'%'5, (et this unchallenging responseis enough to spar the highl( defensive 9Do not (ou as the reason, but be satisfied F Isa( I )ould not/ 2".".'%34 5. Webster seems to be deliberatel( arousing our curiosit(about erdinand/s motives here, giving us a glance of the turbulent, unstable

personalit( !ntonio mentioned earlier in the scene. Later, )hen the brothers confrontthe Duchess, it is erdinand )hose language is compulsivel( se1ual, culminating inthe dirt( @o e about the lampre( )e considered earlier. 7e goes on to brandish theirfather/s dagger at her 4 a gesture man( critics have interpreted in phallic terms.

Bnd of discussion

It is these suggestions of an intensel( se1ualised attitude to)ards his sister that burstinto the open in !ct ', 6cene #. erdinand is gripped b( fevered, vo(euristic visionsof his sister having se1 )ith )or ing8class men characterised b( their ph(sical vigourand attractiveness:

7appil( )ith some strong8thighed bargeman=Ar one o/th/)ood(ard that can


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species of love to e1plode into violence. In erdinand, Webster presents us )ithanother form of forbidden love and allo)s us to e1plore the relationship bet)een loveand death from the perspective of the villain.

&recht/s particular interest in erdinand/s illicit se1ual desires points to one of the

reasons for our continued fascination )ith this pla(. The establishment of reudian ps(choanal(sis in the course of the t)entieth centur( brought )ith it a model of thehuman ps(che )hich sees unrul( repressed desires and impulses as e1erting a

po)erful influence on human behaviour. Webster/s characterisation of the Du e of$alabria as a man in the grip of unconscious and taboo erotic longings meshes )ith amodern conception of the instabilit( and irreducible comple1it( of the human

personalit(. 7aving said that, there is ever( indication that Webster/s contemporariesfound erdinand e


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Webster, J. 2' + "%'3 5 The Duchess of Malfi 2ed. M. ?endall5, 7arlo), earsonLongman.

Whigham, . 2"+*#5 96e1ual and social mobilit( in The Duchess of Malfi /, Pu+lications of the Modern Language Association , vol. " , no. ', pp. "%G4*%.

urther reading!ughterson, ?. 2' "5 (e+ster/ The Tragedies , &asingsto e, algrave.

&else(, $. 2"+* 5 9Bmblem and antithesis in The Duchess of Malfi /, Renaissance Dra!a , vol. "", pp. ""#43 .

B eblad, I.6. 2"+#*5 9The impure art of John Webster/, Revie$ of *nglish Studies , vol.+, pp. '#34%G.

Maus, ?.B. 2ed.5 2"++#5 &our Revenge Tragedies , A1ford World/s $lassics, A1ford,A1ford niversit( ress.

0eill, M. 2"++G5 7ssues of Death/ Mortality and 7dentity in *nglish RenaissanceTragedy , A1ford, $larendon ress.

Ac*no$ledgements

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john webster, the duchess

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