‘The Duchess of Malfi’-Revision Bundle
‘The Duchess of Malfi’ Detailed Notes
Act One Scene One
‘Antonio’ is a conciliar to the Duchess (below the Duchess in status) and is a friend of ‘Delio’ who
is a courtier. They are both outsiders and subsequently can comment on the corruption present
in the court, which is Webster critisizing the reign of James I.
“How do you like the French Court? I admire it”- Delio asks Antonio this after he comes back from
France. The French court is idealized here and exposes what is corrupt about the Italian courts. It
is important to note that Webster sets the play in Italy, as this is detached from the UK but is
meant to a be a satirical critique of the UK courts.
“To a fixed order, their judicious king begins at home: quits his palace of flattering sycophants”-
This could be viewed as criticism of Bosola, as Antonio does not like him, as he believes he is a
sycophant. Furthermore, this is not the case with the UK courts as James’ court was filled with
courtiers whom were attractive boys, which James enjoyed. These were typically the sons of
Lords such as Buckingham and were running a mockery of the government.
“His master’s masterpiece the work of heaven”- Government at the time was seen as holy due to
the Tudor chain of being. This stated, that the King was the anointed temple on Earth and God’s
representative on Earth. Also “blessed government” embodies this idea.
“A prince’s court is like a common fountain…whence should flow pure silver drops”- This is how
Antonio views the court in France. This simile shows that a government should give and share its
wealth with all its citizens. Yet in the UK at the time, there is James whom is swayed off course
by those sycophantic characters in the courts.
“Some cursed example poison’t near the head”- Antonio says this is the Italian court with
corruption at its heart, by the King. As such “death and diseases through the whole land spread”,
due to the Tudor Chain of Being. If there is good, such as that seen in the French court then
“silver drops” will flow, symbolizing prosperity, as silver is seen as a precious metal.
“who dares freely inform him the corruption of the times?...It is a noble duty to inform them
what they ought to see”- The corruption needs to be made public and the King needs someone
to tell him about the truth so that happiness is spread throughout the kingdom.
“Here comes Bosola the court- gall”- This means that Bosola is a blister and Antonio believes that
he complains about the court a lot. “I observe his railing is not for the live of piety; indeed, he
rails about those things that he wants “and Antonio believes that he is selfish and is angry only
because he is not get his due merit, yet we learn that Antonio could be seen as tragically naïve,
as Bosola is complaining about the corruption in the court.
“lecherous, covetous or proud bloody or envious”- Bosola is described as all of these things which
are some of the 7 deadly sins, and paints Antonio as a moralizer.
, “I do haunt you still”- Bosola is angry at the Cardinal for letting him rot in prison, for a murder
which was instigated by him (the Cardinal), and Bosola wants his revenge.
“I have done you better service than to be slighted thus…the only reward of doing well is doing
it”- Bosloa wants some recognition for what he has done.
The Cardinal is presented as dangerous and is the brother of the Duchess. He is cruel and is one
of the most evil characters in literature. He says to Bosola “so.”, which highlights how little
regard he has for anyone but himself and is accentuated by the full stop. “You enforce your
merit too much”. We see the corruption in the court, as Bosola is just a commoner who is
nowhere near him in the Tudor Chain of Being and displays a total disregard for Bosola.
Furthermore, the Cardinal is wearing red robes always, which provides connotations of blood.
The Cardinal is a Catholic prince and Bosola ironically says “with all your divinity do but direct me
the way to it” as he wants the Cardinal to be the Christ like figure he is meant to be but isn’t and
is in fact described as “fellows say they are possessed with the devil, but this great fellow were
able to possess the greatest devil and make him worse”. The Cardinal is the epitomy of
corruption, he is meant to be a religious figure yet is described as worse than the devil.
“He [the Cardinal] and his brother [Ferdinand] are like plum trees that grow crooked over
standing pools”- The fact that they are over “standing pools” is interested as this means that the
water is stagnant. This is contrasted with the “common fountain” which represents fresh water
and happiness, yet here we see these “rich and o’erladen” trees dropping their corruption
(fruits) which causes the society to become stagnant and fill with disease.
“They are rich and o’erladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies and caterpillars feed on them”-
Only people that eat them are these low life forms and again reflects the Tudor Chain of Being as
the fruits of the brother’s labor ends up with those people who have a lower social status to
them.
“Could I be one of their flattering panders I would hang on their ears like a horse leech till I were
full and then drop off”- A “pander” is another term for sycophant/ pimp which is a criticism of
James’ courts. These sycophants fill themselves up with the riches of the court and then drop
themselves off, with disregard to the rest of the government/ country. This is the reason for why
Bosola is around the Cardinal and Ferdinand, so he can get money as this is the only way he can
do this in the society he lives in.
“There are rewards for hawks and dogs and when they have done service, but, for a soldier that
hazards his limbs in a battle nothing”- These “hawks and dogs”, are symbols of obedience, and
are those which follow every word of the King and those above and sycophants and gain
rewards for their own selfish needs. Yet a soldier who risks his life for his country there is
nothing for them.
“this man’s head lies at that man’s foot and so lower and lower”- Highlights the degradation of
society, and also the Tudor chain of being with all of this corruption is not being adhered to and
is causing the government to crumble.
“For a notorious murder, and ‘twas thought the Cardinal suborned it”- Bosola did the Cardinal’s
dirty work by doing a murder for him and went to prison for him, yet now the Cardinal has
completely disregarded Bosola. This is conformist from Antonio as there is corruption at the
head and will trickle down (in this case Cardinal is corrupted)
, “I have heard he’s very valiant. This foul melancholy will poison all his goodness”-Antonio is very
naïve as he tries to see the best in people and we can see that he is very conformist being a
moralizer here. However, he is right in some ways here as Bosola has a conversion, but Antonio
does get killed by Antonio.
Act One Scene Two
“Who took the ring oftenest? Antonia Bologna, my lord.”- A metaphor for sexual virginity and
illicit sexual action. It is interesting how they call Antonio “Antonia” as this is feminizing him, and
Ferdinand asks this and is the first line he says in the play highlighting his infatuation with the
Duchess.
“Give him the jewel”- The jewel is a metaphor for the Duchess.
“Thou toldst me thy wife could not endure fighting”- Julia is Castrucio’s wife and she is having an
affair with the Cardinal, so Ferdinand has a jibe at him.
“he runs as if he were ballast with quicksilver”- This is Ferdinand making a joke about to deal
with sexual disease as at the time of writing this was a cure for syphilis. We can see that these
sexual jokes at the heart of the court and highlights that the court and society they live in is
grim.
“true my lord he reels from the tilt often/ Ha Ha Ha”- Sexual jokes again and this is said by Silvio
whom is rather sycophantic and makes a joke to flatter and agree with Ferdinand’s view,
however this is combatted with “Why do you laugh” from Ferdinand and he is not happy as he
wants to be the center of attention.
“Take fire when I give fire – That is laugh when I laugh”-Again highlights the sycophancy in the
Court and Ferdinand wants to be at the center of attention.
“He cannot speak, you know, but he makes faces. My lady cannot abide in him”- no one listens
to Castrucio although he gives advice and is a mockery of the Court of James I.
“She says too much laughing and too much company Fills her too full of the wrinkle”- Superficial
vanity and there is no depth to people in this society.
“you are a good horseman Antonio. You have excellent riders in France what do you think of
good horsemanship”- Ferdinand is threatened by Antonio as he is the Duchess’ love interest so
he flatters him to try and gain his trust.
“Nobly my lord…out of brave horsemanship arise the first sparks of growing resolution that raise
the man to noble action”- Antonio will not flatter Ferdinand back and he will not lower himself to
these jibes and highlights him as a conformist character as he will not succumb to their level, yet
this is the only way to move up through this society.
“What’s that Cardinal ?...Will play his five thousand crowns at tennis, dance, Court ladies”-Delio
says this as an aside to the audience and we can see gambling at the head of the church which
highlights this idea of a corrupt TCoB.
“Some such flashes superficially hang on him”- Antonio says that all the goodness that appears
to be from the Cardinal are only superficial. “Observe his inward character he is a melancholy
churchman. The spring on his face is nothing but the engendering of toads” these “toads” are
poisonous creatures, and this highlights this revolting moral nature and takes us back to Bosola’s
, image of the ponds. “Where he is jealous of any man he lays worse plots for them than ever was
imposed on Hercules” meaning that if you get in the Cardinal’s bad books he will kill you and
Hercules was imposed 12 virtually impossible tasks like killing his parents. “He strews in his way
flatterers, panders, intelligencers, atheists and a thousand such political monsters” and also “He
should have been Pope but instead of coming to it by the primitive decency of the church, he did
bestow bribes” again highlights this corrupt nature at the head of the Church and he does this
“so impudently as if he would have carried out without heaven’s knowledge” this is highly ironic
as he thinks he is superior to heaven. The Cardinal is an isolated character and we see that his
evil is internalized and is very calculated with all of his actions by doing things backhandedly and
very slyly.
“The duke there? A most perverse and turbulent nature. What appears in him mirth is merely
outside. If he laughs heartily it is to laugh all honesty out of fashion”- Ferdinand is corrupt
internally yet we see as the play progresses this evil is externalized as he becomes mad.
“Then the law to him Is like a foul black cobweb to a spider: He makes it his dwelling and a prison
to entangle those that shall feed him”- The law is manipulated, and the Cardinal manipulates
religion highlighting that there is nothing is clean about the law and he preys on others and traps
other people in his lies. “He ne’er pays debts unless they be shrewd turns-And those he will
confess that he doth owe” highlighting that revenge drives him. “Seem to sleep oath’ bench Only
to entrap offenders in their answers” meaning that he sleeps on the bench if he is a judge.
“Dooms men to death by information, rewards by hearsay”- meaning that he bribes people to
spy for him.
“But for their sister, the right noble Duchess, you never fixed your eye on three fair medals cast in
one figure of so different temper”- The Duchess is Ferdinand and the Cardinal’s sister and she is
completely different to them as she is kind and noble, however as a result of her being so noble
she has to die as to be this noble you cannot survive in this society.
‘When she does end her speech and wish in wonder she held it less vainglory to talk much than
your penance to hear her”- Antonio is captured by her and she is the good sibling “She throws
upon a man so sweet a look that it were able raise one to a galliard” meaning that she can make
a man dance merrily just by looking at them. There is a sense of radiance about her and
lightness. This is a completely binary description compared to her brothers whom are dark in
their evil. She embodies this idea of a noble TCoB and she wants this “silver fountain” as seen in
Act one Scene One.
“There speaketh so divine a continence as cuts off all lascivious and vain hope. Her days are
practiced in such noble virtue”- She is extremely virtuous, and everyone loves her. “Her very
sleeps are more in heaven than other ladies’ shrifts. Let all sweet ladies break their flattering
glasses and dress themselves in her”- all these ladies aspire to be like her and she is a good
character which is juxtaposed with her brothers.
“All her particular worth grows to this sum: She stains the time past, lights the time to come”-
This highlights the duchess leaving an impression (almost always a good one) furthermore the
rhyming couplet here signifies that this is profound and that this sums up the duchess character.
Again, we see that she enlightens everyone with “lights the time to come”
“be sure you entertain that Bosola for your intelligence”- The Cardinal tells Ferdinand to use
Bosola as a spy. He replies with “Antonio the great master of her household had been far fitter”
Ferdinand would rather use Antonio perhaps to remove him off his post as a moral arbiter.
