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Duchess of Malfi > social class > Flashcards

social class Flashcards

1
Q

why was James 1 court so corrupt?

what did he sell?

A
  • court dominated by kings powerful favourites who funded his taste for extravagance
  • he sold titles of honour (knighthoods, peerages) to fund this expensive, selfish lifestyle
  • anyone with sufficient money can pay for these titles
  • meant that wealthy, corrupt people dominated James 1 court
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2
Q

Which part of Webster’s play enacts a feature of King James 1 court?
what is Bosola known for?

A
  • F securing B the post of Provisorship of Horse, but on condition that he spies on his employer
  • B known for ‘notorious murder’ which ‘the Cardinal suborned’
  • similar to how James treasurers were notoriously corrupt
  • also creates the Italian court to enact same feature of James court with the status as a hotbed for plotting and intrigue
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3
Q

why would James 1 have endorsed sentiments in A opening fountain speech?
what was his book on kingship called?

A
  • he had produced a comparable description of the ideal court in his own book on kingship
  • this book was called ‘Basilikon Doron’ 1559
  • book addressed to heir Prince Henry, advising him to take great care in choosing his courtiers
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4
Q

why was it ironic that James 1 made a book on kingship?

A
  • because in reality his court was infamous for its profligacy and corruption
  • he sold titles of honour to anyone with sufficient money to buy them, meant that his courtiers were notoriously corrupt
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5
Q

how do we grasp that in this drama, powerful people hire men to commit crimes on their behalf?

A
  • the C religious costume and title would visually reinforce that even churchmen use their power for criminal ends
  • they hire men to commit crimes to protect their reputation
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6
Q

what was the effect of Webster starting his play with the description of an ideal court?
why was this crucial to Webster?
how does it link into portrayal of James 1 court?

A
  • beginning play with an ideal court to then only show on stage a court that fails in every respect to live up to that ideal
  • is a crucial part of Webster construction of DOM dramatic world
  • sets up an implicit comparison
  • this portrayal of courtly decadence and corruption is gained from context of the court of King James 1 who had been on the throne for 10 years when DOM was first performed
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7
Q

how did the D flout patriarchal authority?

A
  • in light of renaissance social standard, D flouted patriarchal authority by marrying without approval of any male members of her family
  • she violated decorum by remarrying and choosing a husband below her in social rank
  • she revealed an overt and dangerous female sexuality therefore threatening social order
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8
Q

what was a common fear of the families of Jacobean widows?

A
  • in Jacobean England a common fear that troubled families of these Jacobean widows was that the woman would remarry below her social status
  • this would ultimately deprive her family of inheritance and demean the family name
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9
Q

why was F frightened of D remarrying?

what were the consequences of this?

A
  • it can be asserted that F as a threatened aristocratic was frightened by the contamination of his ascriptive social rank
  • hence why he is obsessively preoccupied with its defence
  • thus leading to his downfall for him and his brother due to their obsessive desire to preserve their inheritance, ‘high blood’ and wealth
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10
Q

what does Webster present through his character of B?

A

-he presents character of B, the malcontent, to express his resented views upon the importance of social rank for men

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11
Q

how do A and B contrast each other in terms of social mobility?
what is the effect of this on B?

A
  • A is of a lower social class, but is able to gain rank through love and marriage with the D
  • B is not offered this uncommon opportunity therefore his social mobility is limited
  • this limitation ultimately ruins him due to his obsessive efforts to gain rank
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12
Q

what does B say about a mans worth? (quote)

A

‘is it possible to prefer a man merely for his worth, without these shadows of wealth and painted honours’

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13
Q

why does B express various ideas on the meaninglessness of life?

A
  • he Is trapped in a world in which it was uncommon to ‘prefer a man merely for his worth’
  • thus he expresses various ideas on the meaninglessness of life after hearing the news of D and A marrying for love
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14
Q

why does B wonder if he is dreaming after hearing news of A and D marrying?
what was unheard of?

A

-because in this ‘ambitious age’ they are in it was unheard of for a Duchess to marry below her status just for love and merit of her husband

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15
Q

what does B mean when he says ‘is it possible to prefer a man merely for his worth without these shadows of wealth and painted honours’?

A

-he wonders if it is possible to prefer a man for his internal worth, rather than due too his wealth and honour (status elements that are purely external)

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16
Q

why does B have to report D and A marriage?

A
  • B is employed as a spy for the D so despite his genuine response that she will be praised for this kind deed, he unfortunately has to report back this info to his employers
  • therefore exposing the clandestine marriage due to this being his only escape into social mobility
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17
Q

how did Webster highlight how social mobility was uncommon in Jacobean England?
what would have shocked Jacobean audiences?

A
  • Webster highlights how 16th century England trapped men and women to their social rank they are born into
  • he expresses how uncommon it was for anyone to achieve social mobility through character of B
  • A is an exception to this, which would have shocked Jacobean audiences
18
Q

whilst kneeling what lines do A and D speak that evoke strongly compassionate ideas of marriage?

A
  • ‘sacred Gordian’
  • ‘loving palms’
  • the delivery of these lines echoing and completing one another’s images reinforces the couples mural affection
19
Q

why would a protestant audience respond favourably to A and D marriage?

A
  • Websters protestant audience would have responded favourably to this clandestine marriage, as one purely based off of love and shared admiration
  • also due to it having no traditional marital service
20
Q

what does Webster make prominent in D and A marriage?

A

-Webster makes it prominent of the power differential and staging of the courtship subverting conventional gender roles of marriage

21
Q

significance of the staging of the courtship between A and D?
what does it symbolise?
what do they subvert?

A
  • staging of the courtship is presented by Webster as a symbolic presentation of social mobility
  • D kneels down when proposing to A, he follows in suit and kneels as well
  • then D physically raising A up to stand when she stands symbolises how their marriage is physically moving A through social ranks
  • thus D taking on a leading role in their relationship due to her higher social class
  • takes on masculine role, subverts conventional gender roles in marriage
22
Q

how is the marriage presented by Webster?

A
  • presented in terms of harmony and mutuality

- presents both as equals despite differing social classes

23
Q

how is it prominent that Webster outlines a power differential in the courtship due to their social classes?
what does the D use?
how does this impact A?

A
  • it is prominent that Webster has outlined the power differential in the courtship
  • D using her higher social class as a tool in her marriage proposal
  • places A in an inferior position due to his lower social class
24
Q

what attraction on A part does Webster make clear during the proposal?
what is Webster hardly cynical about?

A
  • the self advancement it promises
  • however Webster is hardly cynical about this as we heard A fulsome speech of praise for D before she proposed, as well as his deeply felt evocation of joys of fatherhood
25
Q

what metaphor for a wedding ring does A say when D is proposing to him?

A

‘there is a saucy and ambitious devil/ dancing in this circle’

26
Q

what does A mean when he says ‘there is a saucy and ambitious devil dancing in this circle’

A
  • this is a metaphor for a wedding ring as a magical circle which a ‘saucy and ambitious devil is dancing in’ implying that A is the ‘devil’
  • he holds a desire for upward social mobility which is ambitious
  • also his conviction that this ‘saucy’ desire is a dangerous temptation due to the D brothers forbidding her to remarry
27
Q

what were the consequences of B reporting clandestine marriage to F and C?

A
  • exposing of this info lead to D death

- B inflicts this death upon her due to his yearning for an improved social status over his own moral scruples

28
Q

when D has died what happens to B morals?

A
  • B guilt and sense of moral obligation finally outweighs his sense of duty to the Duke
  • he decided to avenge the woman he has just ordered to be killed
  • he goes against who he is serving despite his lifelong efforts in attempting to gain rank
29
Q

why was the D death significant to the other male characters?
what happens to them?

A
  • Webster presents the D death to have a profound effect on the male protagonists
  • he presents them in a frenzy of reflexive patterns in which they all mirror each other in their clumsy stabbing and dismembering deaths
30
Q

what does D death signal?

A
  • in act 5, Webster depicts the men to be thrown into sudden chaos and fragmentation due to D authorial absence
  • her death signalled the end of a morally righteous social order
31
Q

what simile does B use to outline the meaninglessness of life? (quote)

A

‘we are only like dead walls or vaulted graves/ that, ruined, yields no echo’

32
Q

what does Webster mean when B says ‘we are only like dead walls or vaulted graves/ that, ruined, yields no echo’?
what is Webster suggesting?

A
  • Webster is suggesting through B soliloquy the permanence of death, how those obsessed over social status’s and are corrupt have lost both their physical and moral integrities
  • they offer no intact surface capable of sending back any message
  • they don’t resonate with us in their pointless deaths, whereas D ‘echo’ is heard beyond the grave
33
Q

what does F say in his dying words about meaninglessness of social power? (quote)

A

‘whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust’

34
Q

what does Webster mean when he says ‘whether we fall by ambition, blood or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust’?

A
  • Webster articulates that even in Dukes insanity he has also come to the realisation that social power is meaningless
  • it only brings corruption and death
35
Q

what is ironic about Webster criticism of attitudes towards social class?
what tension is created?

A
  • Webster is critical of attitudes towards social class, despite his whole drama depending on these attitudes
  • therefore creates a tension between his contexts and devices
36
Q

how is the DOM a motivated construct of its time?

what does Webster use his play to present?

A

-Webster utilises his play as a motivated construct of its time to present his personal criticism of social hierarchies and how those of higher social classes abuse their power

37
Q

what political analogy does Webster use to begin his play?
how does he present this?
why does he use an Italian court?

A
  • beginning his play with an introduction to the Italian court, it is represented through a political analogy about an ideal government
  • presents A to praise properly functioning French court, therefore setting up an implicit comparison with Italian court
  • during 16th century Italian court was widely known to be corrupt
38
Q

how does Antonio present his political analogy?

what does it represent and imply?

A
  • through the form of a simile where a ‘princes court is like a common fountain’
  • idea of court representing a fountain, is implying that goodness should flow throughout the country if the leaders of this government are ethical
  • or if not then ‘death and disease through the whole land spread’
39
Q

what happens if the structure of a government is not ethical? (quote)

A
  • ‘if’t chance some cursed example poison’t near the head’ (the monarch’
  • then ‘death and disease through the whole land spread’
40
Q

what does Webster mean when he says ‘If’t chance some cursed example posion’t near the head, death and disease through the whole land spread’?
how does it link into his characters in his play?

A
  • it means that corruption sprouts directly from very top of fountain itself (those of high social status such as C and F who use their aristocratic social class as a form of morally corrupt power)
  • this then reflects throughout the country if the leaders of the court are corrupt
41
Q

how can this political analogy be seen by Webster?

what does it underline?

A
  • as Websters own personal assessment and criticism of an ideal and flawed government
  • underlining the dire consequences of a degenerate court

Duchess of Malfi (2 decks)

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