The Duchess of Malfi - John Webster

Résumé du document

The Duchess of Malfi is a tragedy by the English Jacobean dramatist John Webster. Little is known of Webster's life. He was born around 1580 and probably died in 1634. His plays are considered masterpieces of Elizabethan and Jacobean Theater. The two most famous ones are The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi; both macabre and horrific tragedies. The Duchess of Malfi was first performed in 1614 and its quarto published in 1623. Based on historical events of the early XVIth century the play tells the story of the Duchess who, after being widowed young, remarried against her brothers' will. Moreover she marries beneath her rank, and accepts Antonio, her steward. This leads her to her tragic fate imposed by the revenge of her brothers. Among its numerous themes, the play deals with political matters, such as corruption in courts, revenge, social inequalities and most importantly, for it was very original at the time, with the condition of women in a patriarchal society. Through the XVIth century the reigns of Mary Tudor and Elizabeth Ist had brought up a debate on women as rulers.

Extraits

[...] Starting with puns and allusions, the seduction evolves to finally appear in declarations and promises to which Antonio responds. The duchess' declarations: I make you lord of l first time she says in unambiguous way she giving herself to him. + You have left me heartless: mine is in your bosom l with this poetical ellipse she declares her love. Then confess herself to be a young widow that claims you for her husband l.446-447 and calls him gentle love on l After what they exchange their first kiss. [...]

[...] Choosing a female tragic heroin was very rare in Webster's time. In the first act of the play, the plot is presented. Bosola is made spy for the Aragon brothers, they do talk their sister into not remarrying ans she does, as a first manifestation of her independence, disobey their desire by secretly marrying Antonio. From this first act, the process of the tragedy is engaged. I will study the end of the scene from Good dear soul on line 347 till the end of the scene (which also is the end of the act) Wondering how under the apparent playfulness of an idyllic seduction scene in which the strong and independent female central character is presented a dark shadow of tragedy is underlying. [...]

[...] The dark setting of a tragedy A. A critic of society In the passage, we can notice few occurrences of a critical speech towards society. Webster, through his characters' mouths, presents his dark vision of the world First through Antonio's speech on ambition on lines 410 onwards: Ambition, madam, is a great man's madness Then the Duchess, in the same way Antonio did in the opening lines of the play criticized the corruption of the court, denounces the falsity of her class. [...]

[...] The Duchess of Malfi - John Webster The Duchess of Malfi is a tragedy by the English Jacobean dramatist John Webster. Little is known of Webster's life, he was born around 1580 and probably died in 1634. His plays are considered as masterpieces of Elizabethan and Jacobean theater. The two most famous ones are The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, macabre and horrific tragedies. The Duchess of Malfi was first performed in 1614 and its quarto published in Based on historical events of the early XVIth century the play tells the story of the Duchess who, after being a young widow, remarried against her brothers' will. [...]

[...] There finally is a perfect inversion of the roles that make the Duchess appear as a dominant female with her own will when Antonio kneels and she passes him the ring, taking on her the masculine part, as later when she instigate the sword, reassuring him about their chastity. C. General inequalities; virtue of heart vs birth Along with this reflection over genres and power lies a general critic of the unfair attribution of power in the society. Indeed as the Duchess character proves it, the established superiority of males is an unfair convention. She proves a woman can reveal as strong, independent and cunning as a man, if not more. Follows various allusions on the matter. [...]