key quotes Flashcards
Duchess saying she is as capable as a man
“know whether to live or die I can do both like a prince”
* Simile- power of Duchess despite her being a woman. Duchess sees Ferdinand in the mirror
* A03: echoes Queen Elizabeth’s speech to army ‘ I may have the feeble body of a woman, but i have the heart and stomach of a man king’. Allusion to painting where devil is in the mirror that a woman is looking in. Mirror also seen as a sign of female vanity
Antonio to Delio stating court corruption, first page
“the court is like a common fountain… pure silver drops”
* metaphor, A03 quote from Thomas Elyot ‘Image of Governance’
Bosola talking about court as a hospital
“Places in the court are but like beds in the hospital, where this man’s head lies at that man’s foot, and so lower and lower”
- Simile- imagery of sickness and parasitism. Each courtier bowing down sychophantically to his immediate superiour
Bosola saying about the evil brothers, comparison to trees
- ‘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 corws, pies and caterpillars feed on them’ -Bosola act1, scene1
- Simile- Brothers are powerful but only people who interact with them are panderers looking to get on their good side, corruption of Court
- A03 James I’s court famous for this
Bosola about disguise and secret plotting in the court
moth simile
“Breeds all black malcontents, and their close rearing, like moths in cloth, do hurt for want of wearing.”
- Simile, rhyming couplet- secret plotting is possible with a disguise
- A03- role of Malcontent in tragedies, crtique the court. 4 humours, excess of black bile makes him bitter
Military metaphor for women marrying below their class
“It is fitting for a soldier to arise to be a prince, but not necessary a prince descend to be a captain”
- Simile- comment on marrying below class being bad
- A03: Women marrying below their class
Antonio and Delio talking about the corruption of the cardinal
spider simile
‘He is a melancholy churchman’
‘The law to him is like a foul black cobweb to a spider’ -Antonio, act1, scene1
-Simile, aside, prose: Antonio and Delio expressing their disgust at the moral corruption of the Cardinal. Corruption of the court
Bosola hired by Ferdinand and asking for his assignment
‘Whose throat must I cut?’ -Bosola, act1,scene1
‘invisible devil in the flesh- an intelligencer’- Bosola
- Blunt, harsh, Bosola now an intelligencer and only interested in monetary reward
- A03: A familiar was a devilish servant employed by a witch, usually a cat or toad
Metaphor about Duchess as a valuable diamond and widow
‘Diamonds are of most value, they say that have passed though most jewllers hands’- Duchess
‘Whores, by that rule are precious’
- Metaphor: of Duchess as jewel and diamond
- Contrast between value and no worth
Ferdinand threatens Duchess with a sword
‘This was my father’s poinard. Do you see?’
- Rhetorical question, prop, double entendre- sword and phallic imagery
Duchess withstands Ferdinand’s threat with sword
‘Shall this move me?’
- Soliloquy, scarcastic rhetorical question- decleration of free will, defiance of brothers
Cariola promises secrecy to Duchess in marriage scene
‘I’ll conceal this secret from the world as warily as those that trade in poison keep poison from their children’- Cariola
- Simile: Great danger, imagery of poison
- defends her during the marriage scene and acts as her witness- Theme of Secrecy
Multiple quotes showing Duchess in control in marriage scene
‘Take pen and ink and write’
‘Raise yourself’
‘we are now man and wife and ‘tis the church’
- Imperatives: assumes the role of the groom, and the priest, presented as more powerful than Antoino.
- Metaphor for Antonio literally rising social classes
- A03: legality of marriage questionable, Gordian knot sliced by Alexander the Great- could not be untied. Hand fasting union
Duchess complaining about being aristocracy in the marriage scene
‘The misery of us who are born great/ We are forced to woo because one dare woo us’ -Duchess, act1,scene2
- Power and aristocracy of the Duchess
Metaphor by Bosola for the Duchess’ pregnancy
‘Tis a pretty art, this grafting.’- Bosola
- Natural metaphor: cuttings from a prized fruit can be attatched to lesser plants and Bosola insinuates the Duchess’ child is of lesser value du to unequal union
Stage directions about horoscope
[Enter Antonio with a horoscope]
[takes out handkerchief and drops paper]
act 2.3 in the dark
Brother’s liver
‘brother’s galls o’erflow their livers’
- A03: humoural theory, overflow of gall or black bile created melancholic temperament
Ferdinand needs to be stopped before he has incestuous thoughts
‘Talk to me…My imagination will carry me to see her in the shameful act of sin’ -Ferdinand, act2, scene5
- Imperative, lustful of own sister
Duchess worried about rumours, talking to Ferdinand
‘A scandelous report is spread touching mine honour’- Duchess to Ferdinand 3.2
- repetition of honour, double pretention: secrecy and deceit
- Duchess still trusting Ferdinand
Holy relic simile Duchess to Antonio
‘Of all the other princes of the world be cased up like a holy relic’ -Duchess, act3,scene2
- Simile: freedom vs captivity. Objectification of the Duchess, idolised as an object rather than a person
Duchess confesses to Bosola
‘I have three children by him’
- dramatic irony: Duchess does not know Bosola an intelligencer
quote about a politician
‘a politician is the devil’s quilted anvil’- Bosola 3.2
- Soliloquy, Metaphor: politicians work with the devil
What is act 3.4?
The dumb show- presenting the Cardinal (dressed for war) bumping into the Duchess and Antonio and their children at a shrine
Defiant statement in death scene of Duchess
‘I am Duchess of Malfi still’-Duchess, act4, scene 2
- Assertion of power, contrast, structually short blunt
- powerful verb construction
- inseparable from her title
