A summary for all the scenes in "The Duchess of Malfi" by John Webster including key quotations, themes, context, critical interpretations and links with another text (selection of poetry by Christina Rossetti)
,Scene summaries Act 1 Scene 1 Key Quotation(s)
“this great fellow were able to possess
What happens? Context
Commentary on James I’s court and how
devil and make it worse”
Antonio has returned from “He and his brother are like plum trees
the court in France and tells the court in Malfi mirrors that of James I
whereas the court in France mirrors the crooked over standing pools”
his friend Delio how “This foul melancholy will poison all hi
court James I advocated. Court infamous for
wonderful it is, which corruption and profligacy “A prince’s court is like a common foun
contrasts to Malfi. We also Webster’s own obsession with politics should flow pure silver drops in genera
meet the Cardinal who has Many plays of this period being set in Italy “Some curs’d example poison’t near th
enlisted the help of former to allow the dramatists to indirectly criticise
and diseases through the whole land s
criminal Bosola, the English court
James I had been king for around 10 years
“quits first his royal palace of flattering
demonstrating corruption in
the court and wrote “Basilikon Doron” where he Themes and Ideas
outlined what he considered the perfect
Corruption
Who is involved? royal court
Deception
Antonio, Delio, the Cardinal Rossetti Links Ideal court
and Bosola Goblin Market- Both texts using fruit as
a metaphor for deception
Goblin Market- Idea of corruption in
both texts but a different type of
corruption. In Malfi, this corruption is
political but in Goblin Market, it is more
religious and societal
Critical Interpretations
, Scene summaries Act 1 Scene 2 Key Quotation(s)
“Some such flashes superficially hang
What happens? Context form; but observe his inward characte
We are introduced to James I’s court and his views on
“A most preserve and turbulent nature
Ferdinand, the Cardinal and kingship (see previous slide) “She stains the time past, lights the tim
the Duchess all through Bosola’s role as the malcontent
“For the good deed you have done me
Antonio’s perspective. The Duchess representing the
the ill a man can invent”
Ferdinand then hires Bosola “Madonna-whore complex” “It seems you would create me one of
to spy on the Duchess familiars”
Rossetti Links
Goblin Market- Presentation of “goblin
men” being somewhat similar to that of
the Cardinal and Ferdinand in that they Themes and Ideas
are described in an untrustworthy, Deception
Who is involved? deceitful way Corruption
Antonio, Delio, Ferdinand,
Appearance vs Reality
the Cardinal, the Duchess
Sin
and Bosola
Critical Interpretations
Muriel Bradbrook: 'With all his many
roles, Bosola is never permitted the
luxury of being a self.'
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