Act One Flashcards
How does Antonio describe the French Court and the Body Politic?
French court “Is like a common fountain, whence should flow / Pure silver drops in general. But if’t chance / Some cursed example poison’t near the head, / ‘Death and diseases through the whole land spread’”
How does Antonio describe Bosola?
“Here comes Bosola, / The only court-gall” “he [Bosola] rails at those things which he wants”
How does Bosola describe the “Miserable age” of which he lives?
“Miserable age, where only the reward / Of doing well is the doing of it!”
How does Bosola describe the Cardinal?
“this great fellow were able to possess / the greatest devil and make him worse”
How does Bosola describe the Aragon brothers?
“He and his brother are like plum trees that grow / crooked over standing pools: they are rich and o’erladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies and caterpillars feed / on them. Could I be one of their flattering panders, I / would hang on their ears like a horse leech till I were / full, and then drop off.”
In what way does Antonio hint at Bosola’s goodness?
“This foul melancholy / Will poison all his goodness”
What does Ferdinand say to his courtiers when they laugh without his permission?
“Why do you laugh? Methinks you that are courtiers / Should be my touchwood: take fire when I give fire - / That is, laugh when I laugh”
How does Antonio describe the Cardinal part 2?
“he is a / melancholy churchman. The spring on his face is / nothing but the engendering of toads” The Cardinal “strews in his way flatterers, panders, intelligencers, atheists / and a thousand such political monsters”
How does Antonio describe the Duchess?
“She stains the time past, lights the time to come”
What quote epitomises Bosola’s corruption?
“Whose throat must I cut?”
What does Ferdinand say about the Duchess marrying?
“She’s a young widow; / I would not have her marry again”
Bosola to Ferdinand: “Take your devils, / Which hell calls angels: these cursed gifts would make / You a corrupter, me an impudent traitor; / And, should I take these, they’d take me hell”. What is the analysis of this?
Analysis: gold coins called ‘angels’ because they bore the image of an angel on them; they are ‘devils’ because they have helped Ferdinand to bribe Bosola and therefore compromised his honesty. In taking possession of the coins he will also take possession of hell.
How does Bosola concede to bribery?
“I am your creature”
“Let good men for good deeds covet good fame, / Since place and riches oft are bribes of shame. / Sometimes the devil doth preach” Who says this and what does it mean?
Bosola says this - this is an example of his malcontentedness. He also compares himself to the devil
How does Ferdinand and the Cardinal describe what being a widow is?
You are a widow. / You know already what man is, and therefore / Let not youth, high promotion, eloquence – [the Cardinal now speaking] No, nor anything without the addition ‘honour / Sway your high blood”
