the duchess of malfi a play john webster

This is not made clear before the Duchess is killed, but the legacy of the Duchess remains, hinting at the egalitarian former. But the reason for her death is her strength in this male-dominated society the fate of the Duchess either presents the sexist world she must face, regardless of her strength, or is a message from Webster to warn against the rebellion from powerful and dominating men, actually promoting sexism. She openly defies the orders of her brothers and marries for love rather than reputation. There is no doubt that the Duchess is a strong character in this play. But she remains strong even up to her death, before which she bravely states “I am the Duchess of Malfi still.” This is in complete juxtaposition to the erratic reaction of her maid and confidant, Cariola. The Duchess confuses Bosola’s manipulative tendencies for kindness, allowing him to easily imprison her. The brothers employ the corrupt and misogynistic Bosola – the closest this play has to a comic relief character – to watch the Duchess’ affairs. The Cardinal and Ferdinand expect the Duchess to remarry, but only to someone of wealth so their inheritance is safe The Duchess’ marriage to Antonio, as a loving but not overly rich man, is therefore one she must hide. Her role among the strongest female characters in Jacobean theatre is therefore questioned. In the Italian court of religion, power and corruption, the Duchess is overpowered and defeated. But the character of the Cardinal is not one of glory or modesty, with Antonio revealing early in the play that the Cardinal “should have been Pope but instead… he did bestow bribes so largely and impudently as if he would have carried it away without heaven’s knowledge.” To put his sickeningly evil nature into perspective, the Cardinal kills his mistress by forcing her to kiss a poisoned Bible.

The other brother is a Cardinal, a man of high significance in the Catholic Church. One brother is Ferdinand, the unstable and cruel Duke, who grows increasingly enraged at his rebellious sister due to the incestuous lust he holds for her. The Duchess of Malfi tells the tale of a young widow, the Duchess, who marries the loving Antonio, much to the fury of her brothers. The character of the Duchess in John Webster’s Jacobean revenge tragedy is equally as empowering as she is perplexing.

The duchess of malfi a play john webster