John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi
John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi"The Cardinal and Ferdinand; two very powerful brothers who are trying to make their sister's life miserable. They succeed in doing this extremely well, nevertheless, she manages to keep her head up high and fight (and die) in style. What makes her brothers (and the hired murderer Daniel de Bosola, who seems to be struggling with his character) so cruel and evil? How does she manage to stay so calm and dignified? In the first scene of the play, we are introduced to Antonio Bologna who has just returned from France. He talks about Bosola with Delio, his friend, and admits that he's rather rough, but also says that he heard (and believes) that He's very valiant and that he's afraid that this foul melancholy will poison all his goodness. He seems to think that Bosola could be someone 'better' if he just set his mind to it. As a reader, having just read that Bosola has spent seven years in the galleys for committing a murder, one is quite impressed by these remarks. It certainly shows that Antonio likes to see the best in people. This makes it all the more impressive to read his remarks on the Duchess' brothers. According to him the Cardinal often 'works' with flatterers, panders, inte
104) that he was the one who first ordered his sister's death and that Ferdinand was merely communicating this to Bosola. I don't think Bosola is evil and cruel like the Duchess' brothers; he's just very bitter and disappointed in life, a real malcontent, displeased with the world as he sees it, unsettled and very unhappy. His character is a result of experience. He might have wanted to be in the same league as his brother when it came to ordering his sister around, but wasn't up to that. So it was because of the Cardinal that Bosola ended up 'doing time'!He makes it clear to us that he'd rather not be in this line of work but that there's not really a way out for him. At the end of the play, he does sort of get his revenge. He personally banishes her and Antonio from Ancona, where they thought they would be save and he confesses in Act V scene II (l. They try everything possible to secure her downfall, but nothing works really, she is the Duchess of Malfi still until the end of the play. But, as is the case with all murderers, there is a story behind the man's actions and in the play, we hear Bosola's story. Throughout the play, he has no good words for the Cardinal and Ferdinand; he really seems to detest them. All of the adversaries of the Duchess seem a bit helpless, not knowing what to do with her behaviour, which is very strong and noble. This assignment makes him realise all the more how deep he has sunken in life, killing such a nice and pure woman only because she loved someone too much. It makes you wonder, another one but her late husband or another one but himself? As the play progresses, Ferdinand is less and less in control of himself, he even starts digging up dead people during the night! At the end of the play, it looks as if he is very sorry for what he has done, but that's just a little bit too late. So who really won the battle here? I would say that good overcame evil.
Common topics in this essay:
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Antonio Ancona,
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