The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster Plot Summary

Introduction

John Webster wrote the Jacobean vengeance tragedy The Duchess of Malfi, which was first released as The Tragedy of the Duchess of Malfy. The vengeance drama The White Devil was also written by Webster, who regularly cooperated with other authors who were employed by the King's Men in London. Written in 1613, it was presented to a small crowd at Blackfriars Theatre the following year. It was also shown at the Globe that year to a wide audience. It was the first play in English to be published with a cast list designating certain performers to specific roles when the quarto version was released in 1623. Scholars can infer from this that the drama only had one performance, in the middle of the 1610s, and a revival, in the early 1620s.

The English Civil War, which lasted from 1642 until the monarchy was restored in 1660, saw a ban on plays. Following this, it was regularly performed throughout the 17th century before going out of style in the 18th. With women taking on the titular part instead of the boy performers who played it during its first run, it witnessed another spike in popularity in the 19th century.

Even though the play's popularity persisted throughout the 20th century, scholarly evaluation of it labelled it as subpar, awkward, and unoriginal. Only in the latter half of the 20th century did academic, annotated editions of the play become more widely accessible and Webster's standing under scrutiny. His piece explores topics like sexuality, violence, and betrayal in an open and frequently frightening way.

The play's tacit endorsement of social transgression and his overt critique of authority might be interpreted as either a brazen political statement or a crude storytelling device.

About Author

The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, written by English playwright John Webster (born c. 1578 in London, England?died c. 1632), are usually regarded as the two most important tragedies of the 17th century in England, aside from those by Shakespeare.

The life of Webster is not well known. His Lord Mayor's Show for 1624, Monuments of Honour, states in the preamble that he was born a freeman of the Merchant Taylors' Company. He was most likely a coachmaker and might have been an actor. His theatrical oeuvre consisted of collaborations (not all of which are now extant) with notable writers aside from his two main plays and The Devil's Law-Case (c. 1620; published 1623).

He co-authored Westward Ho (1604) and Northward Ho (1605), both of which were released in 1607, with his primary colleague Thomas Dekker. He is also thought to have collaborated to varying degrees with John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, John Ford, and John Fletcher. He is entirely or partially responsible for eight existing plays as well as some nondramatic poems and prose; the most well-known version is The Complete Works of John Webster, edited by F.L. Lucas, 4 vol. (1927).

The Duchess of Malfi is a tragedy of pain, much like King Lear, while The White Devil is a play of action, like Macbeth.

Plot Summary

Antonio, the Duchess of Malfi's steward, has just returned from France in Act I. He explains to Delio, his best buddy, that, in contrast to Italy, France has done away with corruption in its legal system. For instance, the Cardinal routinely uses bribery and lies; most recently, he permitted a guy called Bosola, who had just returned to court, to be jailed for a homicide he had authorised. Additionally, there is Ferdinand, the Cardinal's treacherous and adversarial brother. Antonio, in contrast, praises the Duchess, the Cardinal's sister and Ferdinand's twin, as a role model for morality and dignity.

Because her money would go to her new husband, Ferdinand and the Cardinal do not want the recently widowed Duchess to remarry. In order to spy on the Duchess, Ferdinand inserts Bosola into her home as a hostler. Bosola accepts to work for Ferdinand even though he despises the Cardinal for framing him. The Duchess wishes to remarry for love despite the threats and cautions of her brothers. Antonio, who is clearly below her socioeconomic rank, receives her marriage proposal. He embraces her affection in return. Cariola, the Duchess's maid, conducts the ceremony

The Duchess and Antonio continued their covert marriage in Act II, and she is now expecting a child. Delio is sent to Rome to be near Ferdinand and the Cardinal as Antonio grows more concerned for the safety of his family. Bosola notices the Duchess giving birth. Antonio attempts to divert him, but accidentally spills a baby horoscope he had created. This supports Bosola's theories. He notifies the Cardinal, who is having an affair with a courtier's wife named Julia, as well as Ferdinand. The Duchess's covert marriage infuriates Ferdinand, and the Cardinal is also furious that the Duchess "attainted" their family line.

Years later, in Act III, the Duchess has two more children. She informs Ferdinand that she is already legally married, despite his attempts to arrange a marriage for her. He enters her room after hours, makes threats against her, and calls the court personnel. The Duchess instructs Antonio to leave court with his children and she will follow, pretending to be on a pilgrimage. They swiftly concoct a narrative about him stealing from her and being exiled. She tells Bosola about her intentions when Antonio leaves, and Bosola then tells Ferdinand. The Duchess and Antonio are both exiled by the Cardinal after he catches them at their meeting location. For their children's protection, the pair separated, with the Duchess taking two and Antonio taking one. The Duchess is swiftly taken, prisoner.

The Duchess is imprisoned in Act IV, but handles it gracefully. She decides she no longer wants to live after Ferdinand displays wax replicas of Antonio and her child's bodies that he purports to be their bodies. She is therefore unfazed when Ferdinand tries to torment her more. Finally, he gives the order to strangle her, her kids, and Cariola. After her passing, Bosola and Ferdinand are both troubled. Despite having ordered the execution, Ferdinand accuses Bosola and refuses to compensate him. Bosola feels terrible for the Duchess as she briefly regains consciousness before passing away.

Ferdinand possesses lycanthropy, according to Act V. Bosola and Julia fall in love, with Julia spying on the Cardinal for him, but the Cardinal murders her when she discovers that he assisted in the murder of the Duchess. Bosola is hired by the Cardinal to assassinate Antonio, but he secretly makes a promise to rescue him. Bosola is enlisted by the Cardinal to assist in moving Julia's body. In the meanwhile, Antonio visits the Cardinal's office covertly at night to seek reconciliation. Bosola, who believes himself to be the Cardinal, stabs him in the shadows. Bosola stabs the Cardinal after becoming upset at the error. Ferdinand enters after hearing the cries. Uncertain of his level of consciousness, he stabs both Bosola and the Cardinal. Bosola stabs him in turn and dies.

As Bosola and the Cardinal are passing away, the courtiers and Delio enter. Bosola feels vindicated having exacted revenge on himself, the Duchess, Antonio, and Julia.

Conclusion

The Duchess of Malfi is all about bloodshed, retaliation, and love. The synopsis of The Duchess of Malfi comes to a violent conclusion. After admitting to his crime, the Cardinal kills his mistress. The Cardinal is ultimately killed by Bosola, but he and Ferdinand both murder each other.

FAQ's

1. What is The Duchess of Malfi's central message?

Love and male leadership. The Duchess of Malfi examines male dominance and love in a traditional culture where women are obedient to men's wishes. The Cardinal's secret liaison with Julia serves as an illustration of a woman being successfully subjugated by a male.

2. How should the Duchess of Malfi be interpreted critically?

The Duchess of Malfi exhibits corruption in both politics and religion. Both the Cardinal and Duke Ferdinand stand for political and ecclesiastical authority, and they both utilise that authority to further their personal vendettas. They serve as illustrations of what might happen when one individual is given excessive authority

3. What does The Duchess of Malfi's symbolism mean?

Blood serves as a multidimensional symbol in The Duchess of Malfi in a traditional manner. Blood is, first and foremost, a sign of violence. Bloody refers to an act that is exceptionally violent or harsh.

4. Why is The Duchess of Malfi ironic?

The deception that Ferdinand and Bosola pull on the Duchess in Act 4, Scene 1, results in a moment of dramatic irony and some foreshadowing. The Duchess is devasted by the apparent loss of her family and husband after being led to believe that Antonio and her children have been dead.