Vittoria Flashcards
Vittoria’s dream
Dreams in renaissance period had prophetic qualities
Irony - Cornelia predicts early deaths of V+B which come to pass - undermines power of mystic (machiavellian order believe in instead of Christianity) therefore undermines society’s worth
Homophone of ‘yew’ as ‘you’ (Bracciano) presents his unyielding male power to shelter her from harm - chivalric notion, therefore untrue - Brac abandons Vittoria in trial
In Celtic mythology yew trees were supposed to stimulate leadership, power, longevity and bravery - sycophantic
‘into a church-yard, where a goodly yew-tree spread her large root in ground’
‘made a nursery for witchcraft, rather than a burial plot for both your honours’
Vittoria in response to the lawyer at her arraignment when he starts using latin
Speaks in Latin to degrade V and present her as subservient to men - maintains patriarchy and machiavellian foundations of society through a corrupt court
England’s fear during time of Barebones’ Parl - wanted to abolish latin in law courts
‘I will not have my accusation clouded in a strange tongue’
Vittoria in response to Monticello’s criticisms
Presents how virtue is attributed to males and vices to females - compares herself to Perseus
Perseus - killed Medusa || Medusa was beautiful maiden but Poseidon raped her in Athena’s temple so Athena turned her into a gorgon - vaguely mirrors Isab’s angered speech towards V - B had sex with V and Isab got revenge through her own death which implicated V
To prevent this, V must take on ‘masculine virtue’ and destroy feminine side - or she’ll die like medusa
‘my defence, of force, like Perseus, must personate masculine virtue to the point’
Vittoria in response to Monticello’s criticisms
Uses trade imagery (to juxtapose M’s use of it) which presents women as commodities but is V’s last chance to present to patriarchy that it is only her virtue that is traded, not her vice (prostitution)
‘my modesty and womanhood I tender’ (V)
‘your trade instructs your language’ (M)
Vittoria in response to Monticelso’s snide remark
V reverses trend of misogyny and presents men as wolves who prey on women sexually - base animalistic lust
Homophone - ‘prey’ = ‘pray’ - play on M’s station as cardinal - incompatibility of statement - ironic bc M doesn’t follow religious teachings so prayers are not ‘good’ but instead ‘preys’ - condemns instead of forgives
‘the wolf may prey the better’
Vittoria in response to Monticelso’s characterisation of her as a whore
Hypocrisy - males create whores by their subordination of women and by their view of them as inferior and purely sexual beings - only way for females to have power
‘erect’ - phallic imagery and ironic - if man is cuckolded their sexual prowess is called into question - suggests house of convertites is simply for containment of female power and retainment of male power
‘do the noblemen in Rome erect it for their wives?’
Vittoria in reference to diamonds at the end of her trial
Diamonds symbolise truth, clarity and strength - qualities that should be found in man but V characterises herself as a diamond - those who suffer through evildoings and are good will become purer
Foregrounds the artifice - virtues of V here juxtapose vices of the mcs and immorality of society highlighted
V will make the house of convertites pure by her presence bc even though she sinned its nothing compared to men
‘know this, and let it somewhat raise your spite, through darkness, diamonds spread their richest light’
‘It shall not be a house of convertites; my mind shall make it honester to me’
‘diamonds are of most value, they say, that have pass’d through most jewellers’ hands’ (Duchess of Malfi)
Vittoria after being sentenced to the house of convertites
Justice portrayed as female - Lady Justice - patriarchy controlling justice how they control women
Also suggestions that male influence incites lust and vice in women
Mont’s only response is that V must be mad due to being a whore i.e. STDs - this would explain her subversive behaviour and protect patriarchy from threat
‘A rape! A rape!… Yes, you have ravish’d justice; forced her to do your pleasure’
‘fie, she’s mad’ (M)
Vittoria in response to Bracciano’s accusations regarding the letter from Francisco
Ulcer is representative of the corruption society has wreaked on her body - it is now seen as dirty and V’s worth in society is thus diminished
Ulcers are result of greed (food) - sinful - V has ingested vices of society and is paying for it - presents V as passive whilst society corrupts her - LINK to PL - ‘into the heart of Eve his words made way’
Portrays herself as a victim of society through Mark 9:45 - ‘and if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell’
‘I had a limb corrupted to an ulcer, but I have cut it off: and now I’ll go weeping to heaven on crutches’
Vittoria in response to Bracciano’s accusations regarding the letter from Francisco
Poniards = dagger - murder weapon common in Renaissance Italy - suggests polarisation of female emotions - intense anger and intense sadness - hysteria expected of women which renders V unable to stand her ground as she did in first trial - gives in
‘I now weep poniards’
Vittoria when telling Flamineo what she will give him for his service to Bracciano
Cain and Abel were A+E’s sons - Cain’s sin is reflected by Flam in killing Marc, but it also presents Flam as partially absolved of responsibility bc he has inherited his sinfulness from his predecessors and society and he thus had no choice but to continue their mistakes
‘I give that portion to thee and no other which Cain groaned under having slain his brother’
Vittoria as she dies
Mirrors Monti’s description of a whore - ‘shipwrecks in the calmest weather’ - V removes herself from being the ship but is drawn to it in desperate times marked by the passive verb ‘driven’ - society compels to act as she has done bc society expect women to be whores
Black storm - suggests V is not the white devil
‘my soul, like to a ship in a black storm, is driven I know not whither’
