The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster - Essay Example

The Duchess of Malfi – The Role of the Love scene in the construction of the Play: John Webster (1580- 1634) is one of the salient dramatists of the Jacobean era. Through his prestigious work, Duchess of Malfi, Webster became a noted figure in the literary world. The work had earned him much fame and applause throughout the continents. The play, The Duchess of Malfi, is modelled upon the style of Seneca’s revenge tragedy. The play begins with the aspects of Jacobean comedy but soon it can be seen that it turns to show the elements of Elizabethan tragedy. The play had been staged to many places and the excessive bloodshed of it has made it a play that belongs to the category of revenge tragedies as in the case of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet.’ Of course, the play, Duchess of Malfi, has in many places, got similarities with the application of the revenge theme with Hamlet. But this play cannot be paralleled with the position of Hamlet that has got among the audience. The play marvels due to the writer’s artistic creativity on the subject and on the language. The skilful use of the theme and language made this play a success over the centuries. As the play begins the two major characters of the play, Antonio and his friend Delio make conversation. Antonio’s good character is shown by the words he speaks about the French court. He insists that the court should have to show its royalty by the acts. In a way he hints the uncommon practices happening at the court of Malfi. Soon the things become clear as the dialogue between Cardinal and Bosolo speak about the situation. The licentious and greedy character of the Cardinal is shown by the writer. The warnings set on the Duchess by her brothers, Ferdinand and Cardinal about remain in the widowed state make her react against the cruelties of her brothers. She woos Antonio soon after her brothers leave the place. She says to Antonio, “Fie, fie, what’s all this? One of your eyes is blood- shot; use my ring to’ They way ‘tis very sovereign: ‘twas My Wedding Ring And I did vow never to part with it But to my second husband” (Webster Act I scene I). Very skilfully the Duchess makes him the husband. The extract details the love between the two which in the play reasons for the series of causalities. She is sure of the after effects of their marriage between them. As she did against her brothers they would surely raise against Antonio and the Duchess so but she believes that “Yet, should they know it, time will easily scatter the tempest” (The Renaissance and Long Eighteenth Century, n.d. p.556). The love scene by the Duchess and Antonio seems to associate the play with Jacobean comical types. The audience may have a chance to think of the good ending of the play with the culmination of marriage between the two. Anita Pacheco in the book, “Renaissance and Long Eighteenth Century” rightly says that “This is also a major dramatic climax, the events which drives the action of the rest of the play” (The Renaissance and Long Eighteenth Century, n.d. p.70). It can also be seen that the audience see the courtship of the Duchess with her steward; Antonio takes place not at the very beginning of the play. The audience has to wait up to the end of Act I to see that. The reason may be according to Pacheco, “Clearly, by the time the marriage unfolds onstage, we are in possession of a good deal of information about the dramatic world in which it is taking place” (The Renaissance and Long Eighteenth Century, n.d. p.70). The audience understands the tension of the play and the reason for the wooing of Antonio by the Duchess. The attitude of the Cardinal and Ferdinand towards their sister is the clear description of some of the themes of the play, namely, power, unwillingness to share the inheritance, and the status of women in a society ruled by men. After the breaking up of the first marriage of the Duchess they become so concerned about their power. Their appointment of Bosola as a spy on the Duchess is a clear description of her fate being a woman under the cruel rule of her brother Ferdinand. The wooing of Antonio is the only way out for her to escape from her brothers. She believes that her eloping with the lowly steward will by the course of time be forgiven by her brothers. So she says time will scatter the problems caused by her marriage with Antonio. In no way we can see Antonio protesting against the will of the Duchess. This shows the loyalty of a steward towards his mistress. He speaks, “Truth speak for me, I will remain the constant sanctuary Of your good name” (The Renaissance and Long Eighteenth Century, n.d. pp.542-44). He is a true obedient to the Duchess. Throughout the play Antonio is portrayed as a loyal husband for the Duchess. He is seen as always standing in accordance with the words of the Duchess. The love between the Duchess and Antonio is the ardent emotional aspect of the play. The love may be a forced one as she says in the love making scene, “We are forced to woo because none dare woo us: And as a tyrant doubles with his words, And fearfully equivocates, so we Are forced to express our violent passions In riddles and in dreams, and leave the path Of simple virtue which was never made To seem the thing it is not” (The Renaissance and Long Eighteenth Century, n.d. pp.544). The love between the Duchess and Antonio is a forced one by her brothers. Her attempts to violate the demands of her brothers’ malicious attitudes make her marry the steward and these cause for the coming blood – shed scenes in other Acts. So it can be said the love scene that appears towards the end of the Act I works as the setting of the play, Duchess of Malfi. This scene has direct connection the other incidents of the play. The Elizabethan elements of tragedy combined with revenge tragedy of Seneca in the play trace the roots to the love and the marriage of the Duchess and Antonio. So the love making scene works as the background for the dramatic incidents of the play. Performance Possibilities Webster’s play The Duchess of Malfi describes the tragedy of a prohibited love story, in particular a forbidden marriage which reveals the characteristics of Renaissance literature. Analysing the performance possibilities of the above mentioned passage, one cannot ignore the fact that unlike Othello and other Shakespearean plays, Webster’s play concentrates the life of a heroin. Therefore, the performer or actor should keep an identity or dominance in performing the character of Duchess. Here, one can relates these performance features in to the social and historical backgrounds of Renaissance period. “Inequalities of power associated with gender and social status are highlighted in the relationship between The Duchess and Antonio, and the reactions of others towards their relationship” (Geraghty, 2002). Antonio’s social and cultural backgrounds never permit him to make love with the Duchess and this self awareness often explores in Antonio’s speech. Viewer can feel the tone variation in Duchess’s words towards Antonio. In line 433, an unusual stress is clear in the phrase, “what a wealthy mine”. Similarly, falling tone in line 447 emphasizes the emotional and political crisis that the character faced. Viewer can simply notices the sad tone and it helps them to understand the sufferings of the characters. From the character of Duchess, audience experience a provocative mixing of sensuality, passion, rage, piousness, and virtue. Antonio’s words keep a particular tone variation and it is clear that the presentation of the character gives an atmosphere of a Royal Court. In line445 and 446, dramatist uses unrhymed lines and Antonio’s words often reveal the early religious register which often remembers the divine rights of Kings. Webster presents his diverse effort to demonstrate love and death in Act 1 of his play The Duchess of Malfi. When Duchess kisses her secret lover Antonio, she reaches the status of an ecstasy and her words follow an unusual strong stress. Duchess’s words always reveal her lusty behaviour. Emotional vibration in Duchesses’ character makes known the reactions of a ‘lustful widow’ in Renaissance period. Falling tone in the following line creates the mood of love and affection among the audience. At this point, Duchess says that “cause you shall not come to me in debt”. Features of Language The quality of the language that Webster uses in the play has been widely acclaimed among the literary scholars and they proposes the view that everyone would acknowledge the richness of vocabulary and the abundance of a highly poetical language which would be challenging to even Shakespeare. One will meet with various occasions in the play that unveils many poetical devices which really enhances the quality of the scenes and actions. Webster uses poetical devices like simile, extended simile, metaphor, and so on in various contexts. The play follows blank verse as in the case of majority of the Shakespearian as well as Elizabethan plays. The play follows unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. That is, the lines of verse in general do not rhyme and have ten syllables each, five stressed (in bold) and five unstressed, arranged in the following pattern: de dum, de dum, de dum, de dum, de dum (p.73 Provided by customer). While reading through the play, one may feel that “The Duchess of Malfi provides epic cinematic scope for great acting, thrilling plot lines and breathtakingly beautiful settings [and]...an unforgettable love story and intensely psychological tale of Machiavellian corruption, incest, madness and uncontrollable carnal passion” (de Sousa & Jamieson, n.d.). One will certainly acknowledge with the fact that even after many centuries the literary world still acclaims its richness of language, imagery and verse. Reference List de Sousa, A., Jamieson, B n.d., The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster, the Galleon films, viewed 5 November 2011, . Geraghty, J 2002, John Webster The Duchess of Malfi The Principal Characters and Their Roles, literature study online.com, viewed 5 November 2011, . Read More