John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi: Analysing

the Faults of Duchess

"Ambition, madam, is a great man's madness."John Webster (1578? - 1632?)
English playwright.
The Duchess of Malfi
There was a group of dramatists writing plays for the London theater manager Philip
Henslowe. The group included many gifted playwrights, among them Thomas Dekker,
John Marston, and Thomas Heywood, with each of whom Webster collaborated
occasionally. John Webster 's genius as a writer was first fully revealed in his great
tragedies The White Devil, produced in 1612, and The Duchess of Malfi, staged about
1614. Both plays depict a world of extravagant passions, dark intrigue, and fratricidal
violence. Both plays ensured Webster's long-lasting critical acclaim and both are still
produced. Despite their melodramatic themes, Webster's plays are redeemed by his
soaring
poetic
dialogue
and
his
grasp
of
human
psychology.
In the world of drama, there are many characters who possess high character traits and
status and ultimately fall from that high position because of committing fault.
Considering each one as a tragic hero, John Webster's The Duchess (The Duchess of
Malfi, a macabre tragic play ) is a definite member of this class who falls from her high
position or status and dies because of committing a fault. She is beautiful, intelligent,
courageous and emotional. And out of her emotion, she gets married with Antonio
whose rank and status were lower from that of her's. This marriage was her wrong
action and for this she falls from her ultimate status and then dies. Read More
about Drama
Causes of her wrong action: Marrying Antonio was wrong for the Duchess. But the
Duchess did that wrong action/took that wrong decision out of her emotion. Actually it
is inherent in human being to be emotional. And such emotion causes her damnation.
In fact, The Duchess of Malfi depict a world of extravagant passions, dark intrigue, and
fratricidal violence. the plays ensured Webster's long-lasting critical acclaim and is still
produced. Despite their melodramatic themes, Webster's play is redeemed by his
soaring
poetic
dialogue
and
his
grasp
of
human
psychology.

Every man of this world suffers from two types of starvation, physical and mental
starvation. The Duchess is not exceptional in this regard. And when people feel /

become desirous, they can't control their emotion any longer. Even in "Man and
Superman" by George Barnard Shaw, we see that the hero confesses that when he feels
the urge of desire of his heart, he can't control himself. This is also for the emotion of his
heart that can't be controlled. Again in "Sons and Lovers" by D.H. Laurence, we see that
the mother falls in love with her sons again and again. She can't control her desire
anymore. So did the Duchess. The Duchess can't control her desire and so she married
again. For the emotion of her heart and for the love for Antonio, she sacrifices all she
had, her aristocracy, status and everything. Read More about Drama But people
should not do such thing. The evidence of this kind of work is seen in other play also;
there the heroine takes rational decision without influencing by emotions. For example
in Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte, we see that the heroine Catherine was in love
with Heathecliff but at last she married Edger because of her status. Even in the short
story, Eveline by James Joyce, we see that Eveline doesn't go to Buenos Ayres with her
lover thinking about her responsibility. But the Duchess married Antonio without
thinking about her status and the command of her brothers. Read More
about Drama

The Duchess was threatened by her brothers for not to remarry. Before leaving the Duchess, the
Cardinal says, "We are to part from you; and your own discretion/ Must now be your director".
On hearing the threat and command from her brothers, The Duchess says, "Will you hear me?/ I
will never marry". But when her brothers go out, she asks Antonio to talk to her and she
proposes him and says that she is also a human being having all the qualities of a human being,
she has emotions and love in her heart. Here she says, "Sir, be confident;/What is 't distracts
you? This is flesh and blood, sir" And she then accepts Antonio as her husband. Here she says, "I
do here put off all vain ceremony, /And only do appear to you a young widow/ That claims you
for
her
husband"
Actually, it the quality of human being to make love. So, as a human being the Duchess has love
in
her
heart
and
she
is
proposing
him
to
marry. See
more
at:
http://ardhendude.blogspot.in/2014/10/john-webstersthe-duchess-ofmalfi.html#sthash.JX8vu7EZ.dpufActually, it the quality of human being to make love. So, as

a human being the Duchess has love in her heart and she is proposing him to marry.

After that we have seen that there was a love affair between the Duchess and Antonio
and at last they marry and they produce three children. On hearing the news of their
secret marriage and their children, the cardinal and The Duke Fardinand react angrily.
And from the beginning to the end of Act two, scene five, we see the reaction of the two
brothers for the action of their sister. They think that the Duchess has destroyed the
reputation and status of their family. The Cardinal says, "Shall our blood,/ The royal
blood of Arragon and Castile, Be thus attained? So, they don't want to destroy the
family reputation and want to kill her. Here Ferdinand says, Ill find scorpions to string
my whips,/And fix her in a general eclipse". Read More about Drama
But the immediate result was that the Duchess was tortured invariably .The Duke in
order to horrify the Duchess gives a dead mans hand to her and she kisses it taking it to
be the Duke's hand. The spectacle of waxen images of the dead bodies of Antonio and
children presented before the Duchess is another horrid scene that creates horror in the
mind of the audiences and the Duchess. Even The unruly dance of the mad men before
the Duchess to torture her with the intention of turning her mad, the appearance of
Bosola as a tomb maker also causes anxiety in the heart of the Duchess.
Her

present

"That's

situation

the

is

such

greatest

that

she

torture

compares
souls

it

to

Hell,

feel

in

saying,
Hell."

The revengeful brothers are both villains .They are the victims of an insensate fury that
blinds the eyes, maddens the drain, and poisons the springs of pity. The piteous
sufferings of their victim from the hard heart of Bosola who says:
"You
More

may
perfect

discern
in
her

the
tears

share
than

in

of

the

loveliness,
smile."

At last Bosola was hired to kill the Duchess and her children. Bosola killed them
successfully
and
through
this
killing
the
revenge
was
taken.
Actually, it doesn't become clear why revenge is taken on the Duchess. Her only fault is
that she has married below her rank and status and thus the two brothers think, she has
disgraced the family. She has certainly not committed any heinous crime for which she
is subjected unjustified. That the weak revenge motives is clearly brought out by the fact
that for more than two years her two brothers do nothing to punish the Duchess. Read
More
about Drama
In summing up, we can say the death of the Duchess is a kind of death of a tragic
heroine. And as a tragic heroine she deserves our sympathy because she never violets
what might be generally signified as moral goodness. Certainly her triumph over
oppressing and dear is a tragic victory not because she has maintained her integrity of
life, but rather because her integrity involves courage. Actually she has done what most
of the people would do for emotion.
- See more at: http://ardhendude.blogspot.in/2014/10/john-webstersthe-duchess-ofmalfi.html#sthash.JX8vu7EZ.dpuf