power and corruption

Question 1

The French King i.e French courts had a ‘judicious king’ who didn’t have any ‘flattering sycophants’ - Critiquing the English court who did have it
“court is like a common fountain .. if a poisin’t near the head death and disease through the land spread”

Answer 1

The merchant tale Chaucer also criticise the court of England using placebo and Justinus as allegories. “a ful greet fool is any counseillor that dar presume that his counseil sholde passe his lordes wit”

Question 2

women as powerful using men as literal stepping stone - “is all my royal kindred lay in my way unto this marriage /i’d make them my low footstep”

Answer 2

The Merchants tale May “my foote mighte sette upon your back”.
from a Marxist Feminist POV uprising of women trampling on me is empowering

Question 3

violence and power through men ‘ knyf wyf rhyme’

Answer 3

DOM Ferdinand showing his ‘fathers poniard’ idea of phallic image and power of men through this
Bosola has a pistol pointed at him by julia and he takes it back. idea of power in men

Question 4

key as a symbol of control - “who keeps the key to the park gate” - antonio takes power to help out his wife
“i entered you into my heart before you could vouchsafe to call for the keys”- shows that the key is a power and is something that you need to give over

Answer 4

In Merchants tale Januarie believes he can mould may like ‘warm wex’ but instead she takes her power of back ‘warm wex hath emprented the cliket’ -
key acts as a weapon to control women

Question 5

‘if you smile upon a prisoner, hang him but if you frown upon him and threaten him, let him be sure to ‘scape the gallows’ - critique of the court of whitehall

Answer 5

’ a ful greet fool is any counseillor….that dar presume his counseil sholde passe his lordes wit’ - corruption in courts filled with people who do the wrong thing

Question 6

power of intelligence- Bosola - “poisioned? a spanish fig for the imputations!” - shameless and pretends he would never do such a thing when he did

Answer 6

May - “i am a gentil womman and no wench” whilst signing to damian to go into the garden
power of female eloquence

Question 7

Ferdinand recognises power of lower class and how its possible that they have the ability to attract and desire the lower class - “some lovely squire that carries coals up to her privy lodgings”

Answer 7

Januarie fails to recognise it since he is blind and is powerless as soon as he says “he is a gentil squire” and sends his young bride to go visit him

Question 8

power of the duchess “ that noblemen shall come with cap and knee?” - in control unlike may who isn’t given a voice and has to trick to get control
“ i am the duchess of malfi still” - dignified in control over herself is able to do this due to her body politic

Answer 8

May lacks power and has to gain her own control she isn’t a prince , she is of ‘smal degree’ unlike the duchess so has to gain power the only way she knows how.

Question 9

princes pay flatterers with their own money

Answer 9

similarites placebos relationship with januarie

Question 10

gain of power vs loss of power - Duchess is shown the wax figures of her children “present you this sad spectical” and looses power and will to live

Answer 10

The wax imprint of the key is Mays way of taking back and gain of power

Question 11

duchess is powerful enough to make demands and requests “my body bestow upon my women will you?” - bosola follows this

Answer 11

may also makes demands but exagerattes and it is comical not tragic like the duchess “ strepe me and put me in a sak and in the next river do me drench” talks lightly about her body after death as she knows she is powerless

Question 12

Bosola tries to undo the corruption he took part in “now that i wake”

Answer 12

but Januarie is blind and does not realise the truth once he ‘wakes’ and gets his eyesight back because of the power of female eloquence

Question 13

corruption in religion - cardinal - “enquire out Delio’s confessor and see if you can bribe him”

Answer 13

januarie - “ a man may do no sin with his wyf ne cut hymself with his owne knyf” -
interpreting religion how they want to

Question 14

cardinal acting as judge,coroner,exectutor - “ i’ll give out she died of the plague.. ‘twill breed less enquiry”
“come to me at midnight to help me remove the body”

Answer 14

prosepina and pluto hone enough power to change May and Januarie the way they want to and help them out.
less corrupt than tragic revenge play as the text is a comical peice and contains mythical characters

Question 15

ferdinands corruption - “a very salamander lives in’s eye “ ( a lizard like creature who are able to live in fire”

Answer 15

contrasts to pluto god of the underworld who has hellish characteristics

Question 16

“me thinks her fualt and beauty blended together, show like leprosy . the whiter the fouler” - image of corruption

Answer 16

merchant also describes his wife as “ she is a shrew at al” and his wife’s “passing cruelteee” “i would have never eft comen in the snare”
- idea of men as finding marriage as a corrupt instituition but both men only seem to lack power.

Question 17

in a world of corruption even those who are kind have to be corrupt at times “this hath a handle to it as well as a point: turn it towards him “ - duchess is being told to fight back and turn the circumstances if she has to since she has the power and abilities to do so

Answer 17

May also turns her circumstances with the help of prosepina  "her answere shal she have, i undertake"
- Marxist idea of lower class overturning the circumstances.

Question 18

power as a upper class man "his freends sente he to , at his instaunce" - ordering his friends not at their own will they have no choice - 
despite being upper class he is blind to the reality of his life. Though he is aware that at his age he should take someone who is of 'smal degree' because they cant disagree. he is misusing his power on lower class whereas duchess doesn't.

Answer 18

Duchess is upper class but gives her power away after their marriage "we now are man and wife maid, stand apart i now am blind" 
"for now we are one"
- dismisses class differences allows Antonio to take charge in their marriage. clearly separates her body politic and private.