Props DoM

Question 1

The Duchess’s Ring

Answer 1

• Inversion of gender dynamics.
• Offers it to Antonio. Given to her by the Duke, so it is a complex symbol of marriage, power, union
• both conventional and aristocratic and subversive and progressive and romantic.
• By giving it to Antonio, she is handing him the system that has kept him down, symbolically, and asking him to ‘raise’ himself.

Question 2

Ferdinand’s poniard

Answer 2

• phallic symbol.
• Uncomfortable.
• Brings it out at key moments, including confronting the Duchess in her private space. -Threatening symbol of masculine violence, but arguably masculine anxiety – his dependence on it.

Question 3

Bag of money/gold that Ferdinand gives Bosola

Answer 3

– power, corruption, materialism.
-Buying Bosola and his soul.
-Absence of true loyalty.
-Loyalty is a rare commodity – Antonio, Cariola and, to some extent, Delio.
-Significantly they are all lower down the social scale and, ultimately, Bosola will join them – although too late.
- ALL RELATIONSHIPS ARE TRANSACTIONAL !

Question 4

Apricots

Answer 4

• Mirror corruption of fall.
• Tempting Duchess. Corruption of nature - ‘grafted’ and grown in ‘horse dung.’ Exposes her secret (she is both Eve and Mary)

Question 5

Candles

Answer 5

lighting and going out.
Symbolic of truth and corruption, idealism and decay/murder/death.
Frailty of the candle.
Impact of being lost in darkness and obfuscation.
Dark = hidden truth, deception