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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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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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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Paper-1 Detailed Epithalamion (Spencer) 1.How far is Epithalamion conventional and how far is it personal? (1000) 2. Write a critical appreciation of Spencer’s poems? (1000) Paradise Lost (Milton) 1.Milton’s Invocation to the Muse 2) Milton’s Description of the Hell? 3) Satan’s Speeches in Book one 4) Milton’s description of fallen angles? 5) The construction of Pandemonium? 6)Character sketch—Satan 7) Milton’s Personality 8) Style 9) Milton’s similes in book-1
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watch over her. Finding that she is in love and secretly married‚ he uses every form of inhuman torture that he can devise to break her mind‚ then has her murdered. Remorse drives him to madness. In his frenzy‚ he wounds his brother‚ mortally wounds Bosola‚ and receives his death wound from the latter. The duchess of the play is a headstrong but noble woman who says to her executioners: “Pull‚ and pull strongly‚ for your able strength‚ Must pull down heaven upon me.” Nobility notwithstanding‚ her “passion
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William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi are fascinating plays with convoluted plots that cause the reader to ponder the possible differences of females roles in 17th century society versus the present day. This is what makes the plays so amazing and interesting‚ as good literature can easily invoke feelings in its reader‚ challenging personal morals and beliefs. " In early Modern England‚ both gender and hierarchy‚ with the man at the top‚ and the husband’s patriarchal
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widow" (line2) and ends with "You are my sister" (line 37). At the beginning of the scene the stage image is centred on the figure of Ferdinand‚ who is the link with the precedent scene and is the only one remained in the scene after the exit of Bosola‚ then The Duchess and the Cardinal enter followed by Cariola‚ who is the Duchess’ servant; so the group of three people of the central scene is reconstructed inside the chamber of presence‚ where the revels have just finished. This stage configuration
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