Act 2, Scene 1

Question 1

Bosola- ‘to hum three or four times, or blow your nose till it smart again’
‘let him be sure to ‘scape the gallow’

Answer 1

Critiques status, law and order.
Pointing to the injustice of court, performative aspects.

Question 2

Bosola- ‘You come from painting now’

Answer 2

Renaissance notion of make-up being blasphemy.
Social attitude that women deceive through make-up.

Question 3

Bosola- ‘I look no higher than I can reach’

Answer 3

Positional language used as a metaphor for status; ironic as Bosola is attempting to raise his status.
Dig at Antonio.
Bosola upended their plan for a secret birth.

Question 4

Antonio- ‘The devil that rules i’th’air stands in your light’

Answer 4

Mixed up in dishonour; sums up the malcontent character.

Question 5

Bosola- ‘search the heads of the greatest river at home, you shall find them but bubbles of water’

Answer 5

Full of nonsense; regardless of status all got the capacity to be bad/corrupt.
Cynical humanism
Aristotle’s idea of the ‘Noble ruler’

Question 6

Bosola- ‘Tis a pretty art, this grafting’

Answer 6

Gardening metaphor- alludes to the union of the Duchess with someone inferior- society, reputation and status.
Ambition is against the chain of being.

Question 7

Delio- ‘Your Duchess plotted’

Answer 7

Polysemic qualities.
Reversed gender qualities, organised or deceptive she is the stoic figure.