inevitable fates within the tragic drama. Bosola is arguably the most important character within the play. He features in nearly every scene and has many soliloquys throughout the play. Within this scene the audience are given the opportunity to compare his interaction between both the Duchess and Ferdinand and see his inner turmoil between his ambition and his conscience. Webster highlights this inner turmoil and the moral change which is happening to Bosola by the language that he uses in the scene
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decision to re-marry. She marries her steward Antonio though the Duchess assures that she will not marry again. But her brother is right when he thinks that she will go against his will. So‚ on the Cardinal’s advice‚ he hires Bosola as a spy. The undoing of the Duchess starts when Bosola suspects her to be pregnant. He is a very cunning man. He waits for signs that confirm his suspicion. He even gives the Duchess apricots to see if she eats them eagerly as any pregnant woman might. His suspicion is confirmed
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murders of the Duchess and her children. The Duchess‚ a symbol of motherhood and light‚ is unfazed by these horrors because she believes her family already dead‚ but she does explain that “the earth” seems made “of flaming sulphur” (4.2.26). And when Bosola tells her she must keep living‚ she makes it clear that hell is truly on Earth—“That’s the greatest torture souls feel in hell‚/In hell: that they must live‚ and cannot die” (4.1.70-1)‚ The Cardinal and Ferdinand are particularly responsible for
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John Webster‚ The Duchess of Malfi Introduction 3 Learning outcomes 3 Background 3 Description 4 Act 1: setting the scene 5 Courts ideal and real 5 Discussion 5 Description 8 Bosola the malcontent 8 Discussion 9 Marriage for love: family opposition 10 Discussion 10 Love and marriage: Antonio the steward 13 Discussion 14 Love and marriage: the Duchess 15 Description 16 Description 17 Discussion 19 Act 2: discovery 21 Ferdinand 21 Discussion 22 Conclusion 24 References 24 Further reading 25 Next steps
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The Duchess of Malfi as a Revenge Tragedy “The Duchess of Malfi” by John Webster is a kind of Revenge Tragedy modeled on Seneca‚ the Latin playwright of 1st century A.D. This play is considered as one of the best plays of Webster and as a Revenge Tragedy‚ it is considered as the best tragedy after Shakespeare’s containing almost all the characteristics of Revenge Tragedy. This play contains the depth of extreme violence‚ plotting and mostly revenge on the best part which are the chief elements of
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the court of Amalfi is a young widow who has fallen in love with her steward‚ Antonio. Both of her brothers the Cardinal and Duke Ferdinand are against her remarrying and are very powerful. In becoming suspicious of the Duchess‚ Ferdinand hires Bosola to spy on her‚ while the Duchess thinks she has employed him as head of her stables. The Duchess unfortunately comes to have trust in Bosolo‚ and he discovers that she has married Antonio and had children with him in secret. As Ferdinand’s spy‚ he
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represent treachery‚ cruelty and corruption. Their shrewd behavior is reflected in their appointment of Bosola as a spy in the guise of a horse provisor. Her brothers threaten her by saying that if she marries secretly then her marriage will be executed than celebrated. Even Fardinand says that‚ he will use his father’s dagger if necessary. But Duchess secretly marries her own steward Antonio. Bosola‚ cunningly extracts the secrets of the Duchess and informs her brothers. She then was arrested and
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In The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster‚ the Duchess is introduced as an independent and young woman who has lost her husband. As a widow‚ the Duchess has complete power over Malfi and her court‚ a power usually held by a man‚ and her all male court is under her command. The reversal of power is made starkly apparent as Webster illustrates the Cardinal and Ferdinand‚ the Duchess’ brothers‚ as being hostile and oppressive and Antonio as being a man struggling to find his own identity and position
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F663 Exemplar Answers with Commentaries June 2010 Introduction OCR has reproduced these exemplar candidate answers from the June 2010 series to support teachers in interpreting the assessment criteria for the GCE English Literature specifications. These exemplars should be read in conjunction with the past paper/mark scheme and Principal Examiner’s Report for unit F663 from the June 2010 exam series‚ also available on the OCR website. This content has been selected by senior OCR examiners‚ to illustrate
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true cause of the Duchess’ downfall. The first lengthy depiction of Ferdinand and the Cardinal clues the reader to the fact that Malfi’s patriarchs are disturbed. Although the description comes from Bosola‚ the reader soon learns that the malcontent’s view of the Duchess’ brothers is accurate. Bosola describes the pair as "plum trees that grow crooked over / standing pools; they are rich and o’erladen with fruit‚ but none but / crows‚ pies‚ and caterpillars feed on them" (I.i.46-8). The "crooked"
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