The Duchess Of Malfi Themes Flashcards
Morality and sin
Powerful male figures portray ideas about pure evil in the absence of compassion or mercy
the virtuous, naive nature of the play’s protagonist and her husband, Antonio, acts as an antithesis.
The play’s final lines suggest the ultimate punishment is that villainy will be forgotten, whereas honesty and virtue will not.
The play explores the juxtaposition of individuals’ ability to discern what is moral and the way in which virtuous behaviour is rewarded on Earth
Webster questions whether sacrifice and mercy is more virtuous than conforming to religious ideals
Webster challenges established norms related to religious authority
The play exposes hypocrisies and weaknesses among those who purport to be morally superior
Morality and sin example
1
Webster challenges cruelty committed under the guise of religious values:
The Cardinal’s blasphemous misuse of the Bible to betray Julia, his mistress, presents hypocrisies within religious institutions
Audiences are also told the Cardinal used bribery to achieve his position
That he has poisoned the Bible in order to murder her by stealth confirms the Cardinal’s unwavering lack of conscience
Morality and sin
Example 2
Webster employs religious language throughout the play to signify the theme of sin and virtue:
Ferdinand “damns” the Duchess to hell for what he believes are her sins against God
Ferdinand is associated with fire, by others and in his own language
He says only the Duchess’s “whore’s blood” can put out his “wild-fire”
He imagines killing her children by dipping them in “sulphur”, lighting “them like a match” and “burning [them] in a coal-pit”
Morality and sin examples 3
Bosola turns to sin despite his better judgement as a result of cynical nihilism:
His own mistreatment does not lead Bosola to act mercifully
In fact, he believes virtue is meaningless, presenting him as a malcontent
Bosola chooses to follow the “devil”, who “makes sins look good and calls gracious whatever heaven calls vile”
His complicity with evil men is presented as the ultimate betrayal towards the Duchess and Antonio
Morality and sin
Example 4
The Duchess is presented as virtuous despite her disobedience to her brothers and the church, challenging religious values:
She states that hell is on Earth: “That’s the greatest torture souls feel in hell,/In hell: that they must live, and cannot die”
Morality and sin example 5
The Duchess faces her death stoically as she believes this will be punishment enough for her brothers:
Thus, she conveys Webster’s ideas that punishment comes in the form of guilt
Certainly, Ferdinand’s guilt leads to his madness and violent death
Power and class
depicted through Webster’s criticism of a hypocritical and flawed class-based society that ranks individuals according to social status
Webster examines characters who act with impunity, presenting ideas about the misuse of power.
The Duchess’s decision to marry below her class is presented as a defiant act.
However, audiences are asked to consider how her ignorance to those more powerful leads to tragedy.
Power and class - Webster intentions
The Duchess of Malfi challenges power imbalances in society, particularly between man and wife
highlights the potentially damaging consequences of, and hypocrisies within, hierarchical, class-based social systems
Webster illustrates how the misuse of power can lead to a destruction of social order
Power and class examples 1 and 2
The Duchess is miserable in her high-ranking position:
She laments the misery of her title, which forces her to woo because no one dares woo her
She pleads with Antonio to see her as the same as him
However, she shows naive ignorance of the power of class
Webster introduces the theme of power and class in the exposition through the character of Antonio:
He criticises those who attempt to ingratiate themselves with corrupted figures of authority:
He calls such people “sycophants”
Power and class examples 3 and 4
Antonio’s virtue is shown through his lack of interest in the social power his relationship with the Duchess brings:
He is aware his imbalanced relationship with the Duchess is dangerous
He is consistently more interested in family than class or social standing
The Cardinal’s powerful position and high status hides a cruel and deceitful nature:
He has little regard for those in weaker positions
He dismisses anyone who does not serve him
Power and class
Examples 5 and 6
Bosola, a less socially powerful character in the play, is a victim of abusive and treacherous powerful figures:
He represents how oppression can lead to villainy
He is inspired by the Duchess’s acknowledgement of Antonio’s merit
However, his desire to increase his own social standing overwhelms him
Webster’s resolution punishes all higher-ranking characters and rewards the lower-class Delio:
The Duchess and her brothers are killed, leaving Delio in charge
Delio delivers the final lines of the play and is left with the Duchess’s heir, implying, perhaps, his increased social standing in the city
Gender and identity
depicts the doomed attempts of a young widow to maintain control over her identity as a woman and mother in a strict patriarchal society.
The Duchess represents an individual who is restricted by her sexuality while her brothers carry out their sexual desires as they see fit.
Webster depicts how her struggle is plighted by an innocent and trustful nature.
Gender and identity
Webster intentions
Expresses concerns with the imbalance of power within patriarchal institutions, especially related to female sexuality and motherhood
Webster explores how patriarchal systems can lead to exploitation of women
The play challenges social standards that restrict marriage in terms of class status
Webster demonstrates how traditional constructs limit female agency
The play advocates for equal relationships that defy traditional systems of marriage
Gender and identity
Example 1
Webster presents the low standards men hold towards women, even a high-status woman such as the Duchess:
Male characters make passing derogatory comments about female characters
Ferdinand, insults the vanity of women when he says “What cannot a neat knave with a smooth tale; Make a woman believe?”
Bosola makes derogatory comments to an old woman:
These scenes are separate to the main plot and appear to function entirely to portray Bosola as misogynistic
His comments touch on typical subjects used to demean women such as their appearance, their association with witchcraft and their promiscuity
Gender and identity examples 2 and 3
The Cardinal and Ferdinand’s plot to control their sister’s bloodline is motivated by prideful emotion rather than respect for the Duchess:
Ferdinand believes that his sister’s sexuality defines her: “thou art but a bare name, and no essential thing”
The Duchess subverts gender stereotypes and social norms by choosing her own husband and proposing to him:
She gives him a ring
She joins them in union herself, discarding social conventions of marriage
