The Duchess of Malfi Flashcards
There’s a tension between the Duchess’s two states of being, what are they?
The body natural and the body politic.
Her duties as a woman and duties as a duchess.
Who was on the throne at the time of the Duchess of Malfi’s performance (1613)?
King James I
What mental illness does Ferdinand contract?
Lycanthropy
It’s linked to witchcraft and demonic possession (Tricomi)
In what way does ‘I am’ serves as more than a statement?
Duchess of M
It’s also got an element of the performative.
Negotiation of identity is a big theme throughout Renaissance texts. What did Sidney in Astrophil and Stella say relating to this?
‘I am not I, pity the tale of me.’
What is the mother - and female figures more generally - associated with?
Unstable body (eg. Pregnancy) Hysteria
What were the ideals of marriage in upper class and gentry families?
Dynastic marriage (which objectified women and men) was arranged between fathers/brothers. Makes for legitimate children.
What is the significance of Ferdinand’s and the Dutchess’s familial relationship?
They are twins.
Shows a split and divorced body.
Divorcing twin = divorcing a half of herself?
Also, they are of one flesh, like husband and wife.
He owns her body.
What is the Duchess’s first line in the play?
‘Will you hear me?’
Speaking is very problematic and significant, particularly for women.
What is Ovid’s myth in which the character can only speak by copying what is said to her?
Echo
What effect does the Duchess’s death have upon her character?
She becomes the typical tragic heroine.
She is poetic, almost divine, mythologised by death.
Why were widows seen as dangerous figures in Renaissance drama?
They were often financially self-dependent.
Sexually experienced.
What’s the name of the character whom acts as Ferdinand’s spy? What does he do ultimately?
Bosola
After killing the duchess, he turns against Ferdinand and avenges the duchess, killing her brothers.
What is the name of the Cardinal’s mistress?
Julia
Castruccio’s wife
What’s the name of the Duchess’s female servant?
Cariola
