John Webster - The Duchess of Malfi

Question 1

Which role is Bosola given?

Answer 1

‘provisorship o’ the [Queen’s] horse’

CP Taming of the Shrew, Tamer Tamed [Fletcher]

Question 2

What does the Duchess say before going to propose to Antonio>

Answer 2

‘for I am going into a wilderness’

Question 3

What does Ferdinand say will ahppen if Duchess marries?

Answer 3

like ‘the irregular crab
Which though it does backward, thinks it goes right
Because it goes its own way’

Question 4

What does the Duchess say of birds’ lives?

Answer 4

‘the birds live happier than we
For they may choose their mates’
‘the robin red-breast and the nightingale..never live long in cages’

Question 5

What does Duchess state to Bosola - ‘who am I’ etc

Answer 5

Duchess: Who am I?
Bos: THou art a box of worm-seed….a lark in a cage? Such is the soul in the body….
D: am I not thy Duchess? ..I am Duchess of Malfi still?

Question 6

What does Antonio say heaven ‘fashioned’?

Answer 6

Antonio: ‘Heaven fashioned us out of nothing, and we strive to bring ourselves to nothing’

Question 7

Bosola’s Petrarchan statement

Answer 7

Bosola: ‘off, my painted honour!
While with vain hopes our faculties we tire
We seem to sweat in ice and freeze in fire’

Question 8

What does Bosola say we are like? what contradicts this?

Answer 8

Bosola: ‘we are only like dead walls…that, ruined, yield no echoes’
CP Duchess’ echoes to Antonio

Question 9

Doctor, of Ferdinand - what does this recall?

Answer 9

‘a wolf’s skin was hairy on the outside, his on the inside’

recalls sackcloth - penitence garment

Question 10

What does Bosola state he is when he is given provisiorship of the horse?

Answer 10

‘a familiar’

Question 11

How does Bosola say his corruption will arise?

Answer 11

‘My corruption grew out of horse dung: I am your creature’

‘sometimes the devil doth preach’

Question 12

What does Bosola distinguish between?

Answer 12

‘good men…good deeds….good fame’ and ‘place and riches [from] bribes of shame’

Question 13

How does Duchess suggest to raise Antonio?

Answer 13

‘This goodly roof of yours is too low-built:
I cannot stand upright in it, nor discourse’
[after synbolic raising] ‘now the ground’s broke’

Question 14

What does Duchess rue when proposing to A?

Answer 14

‘The misery of us that are bron great! …as a tyrant doubles with with words….so we
Are fored to express our violent passions
IN riddles and in dreams, and leae the path
Of simple virtue, which was never made
To seem the thing it is not’

Question 15

What does Cariola worry about the Duchess for?

Answer 15

‘A fearful madness. I owe her much of pity’

Question 16

What does Bosola worry about to Ferdinand?

Answer 16

‘the office of justice is perceived quite whien one thief hangs anohter’
[I] ‘rather sought to appera a true servant than an honest man’

Question 17

What does Bosola say about seeming?

Answer 17

‘there are many a ways that conduct ot seeming honour, ad some…very dirty ones’

Question 18

What does Bosola say to the Cardinal about falling?

Answer 18

Thou fallsy faster of yourself than calamity can drive thee;

Question 19

What does Ferdinand say about being ‘cut’?

Answer 19

‘Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust

Like diamonds, we are cut with our own dust’

Question 20

Bosola - on worthy minds

Answer 20

‘let worthy minds….suffer death or shame for what is just’

Question 21

What does Antonio say about ambition before he marries Duchess?

Answer 21

‘a saucy and ambitious devil’
accuses Bosola of being ‘a saucy slave’
‘Ambition is a great man’s madness
Not kept in chains…but in fair lightsome lodgings’

Question 22

Bosola to the Duhcess - ironic on Antonio

Answer 22

‘will you….rather to examine men’s pedigrees than virtues’

Question 23

Bosola - on being raised vs writing/creativity

Answer 23

‘For this act I am certain to be raised

As men who paint weeds to the life are praised’

Question 24

WHat does Bosola say about his nature

Answer 24

‘an actor in the main of all

Much gainst my own good nature’

Question 25

What does the Duhcess say to Cariola about her reputation?

Answer 25

‘more than my life is my fame’

Question 26

What does Ferdinand say about DUchess’ ‘witch-craft’?

Answer 26

‘the witch-craft lies in her rank blood’

Question 27

waht does Ferdinand say is imperfect?

Answer 27

‘O most imperfect light of human reason’

Question 28

What does Ferdinand say to the Duchess about her reputation?

Answer 28

Is it true that you are but a bare name

And no esssential thing?’

Question 29

What does Duchess say when faslelfy accusing Antonio?

Answer 29

It is a ‘noble lie’ after ‘Tasso’s’ example

Question 30

What does Antonio say about the superstition of the nose-bleed?

Answer 30

Antonio: My nose bleeds.
One that were superstitious would count
This ominious, when it merely comes by chance. Two letters….are drowned in blood! Mere accident’

Question 31

What does Duchess say when she refuses to pray?

Answer 31

‘I’ll go pray…no I’ll go curse…I could curse the stars’; [of her brothers] ‘let them, like tyrants, never be remembered but for the ill tey have done’

Question 32

WHat does the Duchess accuse Cariola of being

Answer 32

‘a superstitious fool’

Question 33

What does Ferdinand say Duchess is plagued in?

Answer 33

Ironically, she is only ‘plagued in art’, not reality -

Question 34

What does Bosola say ironically of Antonio’s death?

Answer 34

‘such a mistake as I have seen in a play’ [metadramatic]