Conflict/ Argument

Question 1

Ferdinand’s conflict with the Duchess

Answer 1

“Damn her! That body of hers, / While that my blood ran pure in’t, was more worth / Than that which thou wouldst comfort, called a soul.” (Act 4, Scene 2). This reflects Ferdinand’s intense and troubled conflict with his sister, marked by jealousy, possessiveness, and madness.

Question 2

Bosola’s internal conflict and argument with himself

Answer 2

“I am angry with myself now that I wake.” (Act 4, Scene 2)/ “O this base quality / Of intelligencer!” (Act 1, Scene 1)
Bosola’s soliloquies reveal his internal struggles and moral conflicts about his role as a spy and his actions.

Question 3

The Duchess’s defiance and argument against her brothers

Answer 3

“Whether I am doomed to live, or die, / I can do both like a prince.” (Act 3, Scene 2)/ “I am Duchess of Malfi still.” (Act 4, Scene 2) These lines showcase the Duchess’s strength, dignity, and defiance in the face of her brothers’ oppressive demands and cruel treatment.

Question 4

Cardinal vs. Religious Hypocrisy

Answer 4

Conflict of Sacred and Profane: The Cardinal’s actions starkly contrast with his religious position, highlighting the theme of religious hypocrisy. Admission of Moral Corruption: “I would pray now; but the devil takes away my heart / For having any confidence in prayer.” (Act 5, Scene 5)
The Cardinal acknowledges his own moral corruption and the futility of his religious facade.

Question 5

Antonio vs. The Corrupt Court

Answer 5

Reflection on Corruption: “Heaven fashioned us of nothing; and we strive / To bring ourselves to nothing.” (Act 5, Scene 4)
Antonio laments the moral decay and corruption that pervade the court and his own futile struggle against it.

Question 6

Satan’s Internal Conflict

Answer 6

“The more I see / Pleasures about me, so much more I feel / Torment within me”. Satan acknowledges that the beauty and innocence of Eden intensify his inner torment and hatred.

Question 7

Satan’s Temptation of Eve

Answer 7

“Ye shall not die: / How should ye? by the fruit? it gives you life / To knowledge”. Satan’s persuasive rhetoric challenges God’s command and promises Eve enlightenment and empowerment.

Question 8

Eve’s Internal Conflict

Answer 8

“Her rash hand in evil hour / Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck’d, she eat”. Despite her initial hesitation, Eve’s curiosity and desire for wisdom lead her to disobey God’s command.

Question 9

Conflict Between Adam and Eve (before and after eating fruit)

Answer 9

Adam: “Would thou hadst hearkened to my words, and stayed / With me, as I besought thee, when that strange / Desire of wandering this unhappy morn, / I know not whence possessed thee”. Adam blames Eve for her desire to be alone, which led to her encounter with the serpent.
Eve: “Being as I am, why didst not thou, the head, / Command me absolutely not to go, / Going into such danger as thou saidst?”. Eve retorts that Adam, as the head, should have exercised his authority more forcefully to prevent her from going

Question 10

Adam’s Internal Conflict

Answer 10

“How can I live without thee… To live again in these wild woods forlorn?”. Adam’s profound love for Eve and fear of separation lead him to knowingly commit the same sin.

Question 11

The Immediate Aftermath

Answer 11

“Thus they in mutual accusation spent / The fruitless hours, but neither self-condemning, / And of their vain contest appeared no end”.
Their mutual accusations and inability to take full responsibility for their actions highlight the deepening conflict and the breakdown of their relationship.