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//The Duchess of Malfi// is a play that was written by John Webster in 1612. Although it was written in England during the 17th century, it is set in Italy in the early 16th century. The play is “l oosely based on true events that occurred between about 1508 and 1513 ….The Duchess was Giovanna d'Aragona, whose father,Arrigo d'Aragona, Marquis of Gerace was an illegitimate son of Ferdinand I of Naples. Her husbands were Alfonso Piccolomini, Duke of Amalfi, and (as in the play) Antonio Bologna” (Wikipedia.com). This difference in time period and location were considered throughout the research done by our group members. Each group member focused on a specialized “area of expertise” related to the time period and the text. These areas are as follows: Women and Maternity; Law, Crime, and Punishment; Government Organization and Monarchy; Country Life versus City Life; Religious Beliefs and Practices; and Medical Practices.

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=Women, Maternity, & Identity = =By Roxana Ashtari =



// The Duchess of Malfi // is an amazing play written by John Webster in 1612, though based on the events of 1508-1513. When focusing on women, maternity, and identity, I have decided to concentrate on Tudor Women, or women of the 16th century. I found this to be relevant since the play is based around a duchess. Webster may have created her personality from his knowledge of the lifestyle of an average 16th century woman. So when readers look to our Wiki, a quick overview of a Tudor woman will help further explain and clarify the various women-directed themes presented in the play. My research comes from Alison Sim, a historian who wrote // The Tudor Housewife //. She touches upon marriage, childbirth, education, housework, food and drink, the housewife as doctor, women and business life, and religion. As each section is touched upon, one can start to piece together and identify the “Tudor Woman.”

The marriage section discusses how a person’s social background had a great effect on whether or not one was to be married. Sim touches upon the fact that those who married youngest were from the wealthiest section of the population and had less choice in whom they married. 16th century children, especially girls, were brought up to obey, and to believe that it was their duty to their parents to marry the person chosen for them. Lower classes had much more freedom of choice. Alongside marriage, childbirth was seen as the most important function of a Tudor woman. Girls got their education from their mothers. A woman’s vocation was focused on making her husband’s life comfortable, making sure his children were fed, clothed, disciplined and educated (Sim 31). These women were also expected to show love for God and to educate her family in their religion (108). “Women and Business Life” may seem to have been impossible, but there were some wealthy women who handled quite large amounts of trade (94). Altogether, a Tudor woman had a great amount of responsibility, although she did not have an equal amount of power or opportunity within the community.

//The Duchess of Malfi// shows a great amount of pressure on the main woman character, the Duchess. After grieving her husband's death, her brothers try to persuade and push her into a new marriage. There is a lot of pressure as a woman of this time to listen and follow the advice of the males. Surprisingly, the Duchess is a very bold woman, willing to take a chance against her brothers. She secretly decides to marry the man of her choice, Antonio. To further frustrate her brothers, she even has children with this "secret lover." Being from a higher order in society, the Duchess is altogether acting extremely out of character.

Webster is definitely trying to dissemble the prenotions had of women during his time period. Although there is such a proper and loyal expectation from these women, his character, the Duchess, goes against such standards. Webster may be trying to break women from the hold firm of men; or, he may be trying to give a realistic account of women during his time—perhaps women really were mischievous! Nonetheless, Webster is calling for women to be looked at in a different light.

=Law, Crime, Punishment, & Identity = =By Katie Newton =

During the sixteenth century, Italy was experiencing the Renaissance. This was a time of great change and renovation of the ideals, art, and culture of the time. The transformation that Italy—and all of Europe—was undergoing was very important to the way in which laws were made and punishment for crimes given. There was an increase in the desire for a single state government, in which all aspects of Italian life and politics would fall under the sovereignty of the state. Machiavelli published //Il Principe (The Prince)// in 1532. According to “Italy 12th to 17th Century”, this work provided the basic idea that “’the preservation of the state is the supreme law’ transcending all other obligations”, meaning that the good of the state comes before personal or private interests. The main focus of the ideals that pertained to law, crime, and punishment during this time in relation to //The Duchess of Malfi// are that of honor, law, and custom.

__Honor, Law, and Custom in Renaissance Europe__ “Honor, Law, and Custom in Renaissance Europe” is an essay by James R. Farr from the book //A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance// which is edited by Guido Ruggiero. It discusses the ways in which the ideas of honor, law, and custom are not only important, but are intertwined in Renaissance Europe. Often times custom, although not formal law, worked alongside the law system within Renaissance Europe, and honor acted as a major factor in one’s decisions, as well as they way in which criminals were tried. In France during the late Renaissance (May 8th, 1643) Philippe Giroux was tried for murder of his cousin. He was made to perform the //amende honorable//, which consisted of him asking for forgiveness from “God, King, Justice, and a wronged earthly enemy” (Farr 125). He was said to have feared this ritual more than his impending death because “he feared losing honor even more than life; he was less sensitive to death than to this humiliating and dishonoring action” (125). He was also ashamed and worried for what this loss of honor would do to the people he was leaving behind (i.e. his father, children, friends, etc.).

During the 16th Century, the perpetrator of a crime had to address the “holy trinity” of sorts (God, King, and Justice), not solely the victim, when begging forgiveness before his/her execution. “Honor now was not only a possession of an ordinary individual, but of interest of God and king in seeing sacred justice applied” (125).

Honor was a highly important part of all of Renaissance Europe. A Florentine humanist by the name of Leon Battista Alberti commented on honor as such: “Honor is the most important thing in anyone’s life…It is the ultimate source of all the splendor our work may have, the most beautiful and shining part of our life now and our life hereafter, the most lasting and eternal part…Satisfying the standards of honor, we shall grow rich and well praised, admired, and esteemed among men” (126). Alberti saw honor as the defining factor in every man and woman’s life, and to deny this “sense of honor” is to deny oneself riches, love, and fame. Honor also was not believed to be something that the honoree possesses by Englishman John Cleland, so much as it is a feeling “in the hearts and opinions of other men” (126). Most the rest of Renaissance Europe saw honor as a thing to be possessed, lost, or stolen, and it to lose honor is worse than death.

Farr explains that “honor became society’s measure of social standing in the increasingly visible hierarchy, and it enforced standards of accepted conduct and measured an individual’s actions and worth against a norm recognized by peers, superiors, and inferiors” (127). Honor was obviously the highest means of judging someone’s character. An individual’s actions shaped who they were seen to be by and in society. One’s duties were also seen as very important, including revenge against wrong-doers. Farr attests to this, writing that “duty and obligation, revenge and redress against insult and humiliation, even vindication by violence, were all subsumed in an understanding of honor which relied on the notion that the social hierarchy was established by God and was mediated through signs and symbols by which the hierarchy could be ‘read’” (127). It rested upon each individual to show their honor and pride, because shame was so easy to come by during this time. Although in 16th and 17th century Europe, honor was a commodity of the wealthy and male populations, women had the paralleled qualities of modesty and shame (127). A woman could bring dishonor upon her husband, brother, or father by acting “immodestly” or “shameless” (128). This is a major theme within //The Duchess of Malfi// because her brothers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal, fear that her remarriage to Antonio will destroy the family’s credibility and make them dishonorable. Along with the beliefs of honor and the individual were that of custom and the laws that followed.

The Renaissance was a time period that was booming with new ideas and schools of thought. Law as formal law grew vastly during this period, as well as its influence upon the “modern state” (128). During the 14th and 15th centuries in Italy, Bartolus of Sassoferato, and his successor Baldus di Ubaldus believed that the legal system acted as one “universal structure comprised of both the //ius commune// and the //ius proprium//” (128). · The //ius commune// : latin for “common law”. Historically, this term refers to the combination of canon law (Christian organization government) and Roman law (government of Ancient Rome). (“Jus_commune”. Wikipedia.com) · The //ius proprium// : more of a customary law, and unofficial set of judicial norms (129,131). In England in the 16th and 17th centuries, English jurist Edward Coke upheld that his country’s only law was that of “common law”, meaning that that //ius commune// would not stand in England against her customary law, being that the //ius commune// was foreign law (130-131). Farr states that “custom during the Renaissance, after all, was precisely the law that was //not// dictated by government” (132). In this case, it is important to see custom and law not as separate entities and ideas, but rather as forces working beside one another, as well as together, often times butting heads, yet also finding some harmony. Royal judge Michel de Montaigne wrote: “There are two sets of laws, those of honor and those of justice, in many ways quite opposed” (135). There existed a large gap between honor and formal law, and the rivalry between the two only grew as time went on. Even if there was no written law regarding a customary practice, such as the //amende honorable//, if did not stop judges from producing it as a punishment.

In // The Duchess of Malfi, //  the Duchess risks the honor of herself, her brothers, and her duchy. Not only that, but she also risks the inheritance that her brothers may receive or the power they may hold in the future by attempting to remarry. However, her brothers are unaware of her remarriage, and therefore see her as a common slut. They believe she has had children out of wedlock, and feel betrayed by her disregard for the honor and custom of their family, and duchy. Her brothers are so overcome with anger and disappointment towards her that they will stop at nothing to have her exposed and taken from her position of power. There exist laws against taking one’s life; however that does not stop Ferdinand from suggesting that his sister commit this act. This is a wonderful example of how custom and honor conflict with the laws set in place.

=Government organization, Monarchy, Identity = =By Ammar Moheize =

During the time of the Renaissance in Italy, the backdrop of the play, //The Duchess of Malfi//, Papal law was supreme and nobles fought for control over their respective estates. These titles of nobility were passed down by generation of patriarchal lineage. Meaning that the eldest son would receive the family estate while his siblings would retain their title and perhaps be allowed to live on the estate as well. Although, most of the younger siblings would not find it difficult to find good jobs and titles in the business world due to their born titles as well as their superior education.

Women, however, were essentially the property of either their father, or if he was dead, their brothers. If no brothers were around, then her uncle or the next patriarchal family head. She would be given away to the highest bidder of a suitor. The suitor chose his woman based on the dowry she had, and the father chose the suitor based on political power and what it meant for his family. Perhaps it would end a long standing rivalry between the two noble families, or harness a trade agreement. Either way, the woman had no say.

This is what makes the Duchess such a pivotal character. Below is a summary of Frank Whigham's article on the topic of marriage and politics in the Jacobean period.

The journal entry makes it clear that politics was a kinship game during the Jacobean period. The //Duchess of Malfi//, a play about a widow who angers her rich and politically powerful family by choosing her own second husband shows how intense this bond between politics, marriage and kin were in those days.

Much of the political fighting in the 1600s was a result of family disputes; the //Duchess of Malfi// is no exception. The politics behind family made heredity an important consideration when finding a mate. The fact that the Duchess chooses her own mate, of a lesser class is blasphemous and treacherous to the family’s political well-being.

Antonio is a character who is forced into a political battle without knowing what he is getting into. Webster does this in order to show the lunacy of the political situation as well as make Antonio a more sympathetic character.

According the Whigham, and his sources, the //Duchess of Malfi// is Webster’s way of showing how corrupt government and politics were. We identify with the characters in a very distant way, except in the case of the two lovers who are on the run. We see many great Government officials throughout the course of the play, the most important of which are the brothers. They represent the old system and their cutthroat style of getting after their sister, and ultimately their inheritance is something that Webster magnifies.

As is made clear, politics and marriage played a vital role. Daughters were essentially only important for their political leverage, but they could neither pick a mate or have a say in their futures. This is why many married men and women had extramarital affairs. These affairs were often times harmful only to the children born from them. Since the children were illegitimate, they could not carry the noble title, and therefore, were branded bastards. This title was cruel, and often led them to orphanages, or a life of strife.

=Country Life versus City Life = =By Alejandro Ibanez =

Looking back on sixteenth- and seventeenth- century literature the country was seen as purely beautiful; in contrast, the city was associated with infestation, sex, and explicit portrayals of life on stage. Plays and poems from the sixteenth century would portray the country as peaceful and quaint and the ever-growing city as something like that which is viral. However, the seventeenth- century literature would evolve and state that everything is corrupt or would simply not idealize. Dan Lochman’s analysis of Sir Thomas More’s letter to John Colet from 1504, as well as a consideration of More’s //Utopia//, and the John Webster’s //The Duchess of Malfi,// among other works, may be used to discuss some of the ideas of the country and city at that time.

Quaint, peaceful, and “pastoral,” the countryside seems like a haven and a departure from the city or other corruption. In order to better define the ideals of the country, Dan Lochman references Petrarc, in his essay “Between Country and The City,” describing in 1353 the country as an “idyllic haven and a site of unsophisticated coarseness.” This ideal of the country continues to further develop in Lochman’s essay as Lochman describes the reason for John Colet, a fifteenth- and sixteenth- century churchman and humanist, staying in the countryside while Thomas More, author of //Utopia// and a humanist, tries to convince Colet to return to the city, by using the humanist reason that the city needs salvation because of all the corruption. The irony in More’s attempt is that Colet was tired of the centralization and growing corruption in the church and the city and for that reason preferred the calmer side of the country, as portrayed in Lochman’s essay. This style of thought extends into the pastoral mode, in which Christopher Marlow writes “The Passionate Shepard to His Love” in 1599. He uses flowery imagery to tell in how many ways he loves his love. But at the turn of the century, 1600, Sir Walter Raleigh shatters the ideals about country life with his “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepard” in which he kills the beauty of the country in order to reveal its true life. Much like this, the seventeenth century would start to view life more realistically and less idealistically, concentrating on the expanding cities.

As the sixteenth century starts to transition, the city continues to grow in people, disease, and corruption. Lochman references Jurgen Pieters, who consides the city as “multiple social ‘zones’” in order to solidify the idea that the city is growing but also sectioning and altogether ununified as a nation (Lochman). In further analysis, Lochman references Michel de Certeau’s idea of “the city,” which is communal, just like one of More’s ideals in //Utopia//. This offers a contrast to Pieters’ idea that the city is an ununified growing center. Lochman continues to analyze the corruption of the city by describing the tensions seen in More’s letter to Colet. The tensions within the city and city life versus country life may be due to what Lochman describes as the “physical proximity of a growing, restive citizenry” and the centralization of “wealth and power of the royal court,” as well as the lawyers and churchmen fighting. The corruption seen in the letter continues into the seventeenth century, and the Jacobean era.

Critiques of nobility and corruption dominated the seventeenth century and most of the Jacobean era. Among the plays of this era, the //Norton Anthology of English Literature// considers //The Duchess of Malfi// by John Webster as another play with the Jacobean stereotype in that it serves as a critique of nobility and the corruption of the land (1461). Though when Webster wrote this it was set in the sixteenth century in order to avoid censorship laws, another example of centralization, just like when Ben Johnson wrote //King James// that led to his eventual execution (1246). Webster and Johnson could have received the same punishement due to the censorship laws. In //The Duchess…// there may not be a clear image of the city but there are still pieces of it found in the centralization of nobility. An example is how the Duchess’s brothers want her to only marry up or marry no one. Another example is the blatant corruption of most of the characters. The play does not only serve as a portrayal of the city but also of theater spaces.



//The// //Duchess of Malfi,// which depended on a theater like The King’s Men’s indoor theater at Blackfriars because of the varying lighting in any scene, though it was still performed in the Globe (1246). Blackfriars is another example of the centralization of nobility in theaters, since the creation of the indoor theaters was for higher classes. The theaters serve to represent the city as a whole.

After discussing the country and the city and their evolution through the sixteenth and seventeenth century and how the time periods can influence the works of writers and theaters, the major thoughts during these eras can either represent or critique the country and the city. The push and pull of both ideals represented by the country and the city serve well as a dichotomy in order to better understand some of the thoughts in this timeframe, and sometimes other timeframes. The city, though, may have served a greater part in this discussion in order to better illustrate the prevailing thoughts and where they were coming from. The city, as portrayed through literature and, specifically, plays like //The Duchess of Malfi,// has been the hub of change and, many times, corruption, often calling for more change but for the better.

=**Religious Beliefs, Practices, & Identity ** = =By Stephen Larsen =

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During the fifteenth and sixteenth-centuries the papacy, as it acquired lands and wealth, slowly underwent a transformation into an absolute monarchy. Cardinals were financially dependent on the liberality of the pope, and through the popes’ generosity, cardinals became worldly, extravagant, and superfluous, as can be seen through the excessive luxury of their clothes, housing, banquets, etc. Each Cardinal also had a familiae, which was a hand-picked entourage that stayed in his court and enjoyed the “exemptions and privileges connected with the official status of a familiar” (Fragnito 26). The cap on the size of the familiae increased throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth-centuries, but it was limited in the interest of preserving church members from the economic effects of extending their generosity to too many persons, not to reform zeal. The pomp of the cardinals’ court was a favorite target of attack for Puritans. Attempts at reform were made, including a suggestion that all cardinals should be given a reasonable and equal salary, which would make them financially independent of the pope. However, these reforms were blocked by the College of Cardinals. The corruption and increasing worldliness of the College of Cardinals should be viewed in the background of the transformation of the papacy into a monarchy, which made the Church perilously susceptible to secular values.======

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The Catholic Church also controlled the powers of law at this time, as can be seen through the prosecution of heresy in the sixteenth-century. The Church had the power to make religious laws, enforce them, and punish heretics. Though the power relationship between the Church and its constituents was often cooperative, the “power dynamic between inquisitor and defendant was more obviously one of force and intimidation, since the threat of torture or a long imprisonment was always there even if rarely used” (Wickersham 236). The Church even had the power of capital punishment, as “witnesses would often be called to testify again to establish the relapsed condition of the heretic (which allowed the use of the death penalty)” (Wickersham 256). The evidence for inquisition relied heavily on witnesses who overheard fragments of conversation or saw a heretic’s unorthodox behavior. Though it is unclear what were the motives of these witnesses, and they may have even been benevolent motives such as trying to save the soul of a heretical neighbor, Protestants and other dissenters must have felt as if the streets were filled with spies.======



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These issues are extremely relevant to the themes presented in The Duchess of Malfi and can be seen in the play through the character of the Cardinal. The Cardinal is cunning, worldly, and selfish. He conspires with his brother, the Duke, to ensure that his sister, the Duchess, will not marry again; his concern is not really for his sister’s soul, but matters of inheritance. His interests are completely secular, and he only uses religion as a means of controlling others, like when he insists his sister’s remarriage would be adulterous. He also uses his power to order unlawful imprisonment and murder. Though it was not always abused, Church officials did have power to imprison and execute at the time, powers that some would critique as extending beyond the legitimate realm of religious authority (especially our modern government, which stresses separation between Church and State). The Cardinal even employs a spy, Delio, which is reminiscent of the witnesses that the inquisitions of the Catholic Church relied upon. The Cardinal’s secular ambitions and departure from religious values make his character a cutting critique of the corruption of Church officials at the time.======



=**Medical Practices & Identity By Jessica Caffarel **=

//The Duchess of Malfi// is a tragic play that takes place in Amalfi, Italy between 1504 and 1510, and was written by an English dramatist by the name of John Webster in 1612. Also taking place during this time was what is considered a major turning point in the scientific community, called “The Age of the Scientific Revolution.” (Albert Lyons, Health Guidance) During this “Revolution”, people began to turn away from simply speculating on why and how things occurred, and towards experimenting scientifically in order to finally answer questions.

A vast center of this Revolution took place in Rome. During the seventeenth century, people of the middle class had opportunities to climb the social ladder, and physicians especially took advantage of this. “Convents, monasteries, and large aristocratic households all demanded attending physicians, especially in the bigger hospitals.” (Sylvia De Renzi, Wiley InterScience) Many physicians and surgeons of this time trained in hospitals. Much of this training included: attendance at senior physicians’ consultations, study of plants, minerals and animals, as well as visits to apothecaries’ shops. Also, in terms of experimentation, the seventeenth century saw routine dissections carried out by surgeons, in order to teach and research causes of death and illnesses. (De Renzi)

Though none of the characters in //The Duchess of Malfi// became ill throughout the course of the play, the Duchess herself does experience pregnancy three times. According to Mary Phillips from SAGE Journals Online, “in the latter part of the 17th century, male surgeons specializing in childbirth increasingly encroached upon the professional territory traditionally held by female midwives”. However, though the Duchess and her family are wealthy and of high stature, the presence of a physician in their house is never mentioned. Even during the Duchess’ pregnancy, the closest thing she has to a midwife is her maid, Cariola, though her specific tasks as such are never touched upon.

Though medicine and science were such an integral part of the seventeenth century, especially in Italy, John Webster makes no mention of these occurrences in //The Duchess of Malfi//, but rather focuses on politics, the misuse of power, revenge, and the woman’s role in a society ruled by men. Medical

= __Summary and Analysis:__ =

Act 1: Stephen Larsen

__Act 1, Scene1 Summary__: The play begins with Antonio returning from France and conversing with his loyal friend Delio. A man named Bosola enters to speak with the Cardinal, who owes Bosola a favor because Bosola assassinated a man at the Cardinal’s orders and served two years in the galleys as punishment. However, the Cardinal refuses to help Bosola despite his loyal service. As the Cardinal exists Bosola expresses to Delio and Antonio the wickedness of the Cardinal and his brother, the Duke Ferdinand, and the treachery in court.

__Act 1, Scene 2 Summary__: Antonio promises to introduce Delio to members of the court. Ferdinand approaches with two other lords, Castruccio and Silvio, who are planning for an upcoming siege. The Cardinal and the Duchess enter. Delio inquires of Antonio about the Cardinal’s character, and Antonio gives a negative account of both the Cardinal’s and his brother Ferdinand’s nature, but he goes into great detail in praising the worthiness and nobility of the Duchess. The Cardinal recommends Bosola to the Duchess for her horse groom, then, as he leaves, the Cardinal orders Ferdinand to employ Bosola as a spy on the Duchess. Bosola enters, and Ferdinand pays him to spy on his sister. Bosola is at first repulsed by this offer of employment, but feels he is trapped in the deal, bound by a sense of thanks to follow the Duke’s commands.

__Act 1, Scenes 1 & 2 Analysis__: Antonio reaffirms Bosola’s earlier claims by asserting that the Cardinal and his brother Ferdinand are villains, “ne’er paying debts unless they be shrewd turns” and surrounding themselves with flatterers and spies. This sets up the Cardinal and the Duke as villains in the play, and prepares the audience for the proceeding treachery. Ferdinand compliments Antonio on his horsemanship, and asks his opinion of its importance, to which Antonio replies, “out of brave horsemanship rises the first sparks of growing resolution that raise the mind to noble action.” This associates Antonio with heroism and nobility, the qualities for which the Duchess loves him. Bosola is probably the most complicated character of the play. At the beginning we see him asking the Cardinal for assistance, and Bosola despairs when it is refused him. Antonio remarks that Bosola “Would be as lecherous, covetous, or proud/…as any man, / If he had means to do so (Act 1 scene 1).” He seems forced under the thumb of those in power (i.e. the Duke and Cardinal) by his circumstances. His reluctance and self-loathing as he accepts his designation as the Duchess’ spy shows both his inclinations towards noble action and his resignation to follow orders from those that have power over him. He despises the court but is nonetheless subject to it. Largely, he is trapped by his ambition.

__Act 1, Scene 3 Summary__: The Cardinal and Duke, brothers to the Duchess, hold conference with the lady and order her not to take another husband. The Duchess promises them she will not do so, but when they both leave it becomes clear that she intends to marry anyway, despite the danger. The Duchess calls for Antonio, her steward, and orders her lady, Cariola, to hide behind the drapery. The Duchess pretends that she is having Antonio revise her will and has him gather the necessary documents; but then, giving him her wedding ring, she asks him to be her husband and uses the documents to legally entrust her riches to his disposal. Antonio is taken completely by surprise, feeling himself unworthy. Cariola comes out from behind the curtains, and the Duchess explains that their marriage vows may be made without consent of the Church, and Cariola serves as a witness, making the marriage legally binding.

__Act 1, Scene 3 Analysis__: Antonio’s bashfulness serves to display his humility, further endowing him with noble qualities. Later on in the play Bosola will say of him, “He was…a soldier that thought it as beastly to know his own value too little as devilish to acknowledge it too much (Act 3 Scene 2).” This scene, and the entire first act, ends with Cariola’s soliloquy: “Whether the spirit of greatness or of woman/ Reign most in her, I know not; but it shows/ A fearful madness: I owe her much pity (Act 1 Scene 3).” This speech calls into question the prudence of the Duchesses’ actions and foreshadows the couple’s downfall.  Act 2: Jessica Caffarel <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Act 2, Scene 1 Summary- The Duchess’s palace in Malfi, nine months later: Bosola and Castruccio enter, Bosola criticizing Castruccio, and telling him that he would make a ridiculous judge. When an old woman comes in, Bosola then begins to insult her, too, calling her hideous and accusing her of being like a witch. She and Castruccio leave Bosola alone, so he then thinks to himself about how the Duchess has been acting strange lately. He believes she is pregnant and decides to give her apricots to prove it. The Duchess, when she enters, accepts the fruit from Bosola. She then becomes sick and leaves to go to her room, with a worried Antonio following after her. Act 2, Scene 2- Same place and time as the previous scene: Bosola, alone, realizes to himself that the Duchess is indeed pregnant. Bosola verbally attacks the old woman again, then watches as Antonio and the servants fuss over how a Swiss mercenary invaded the Duchess’s room and stole jewels and gold utensils. Even with all the uproar, Antonio still worries about his wife’s “illness”; she is actually in labor. Cariola, the Duchess’s maid, waits until everyone leaves to inform Antonio that he has a son. Act 2, Scene 3- Same place and time as the previous scene: Bosola hears a woman (the Duchess) scream, and re-enters the now empty room. Antonio sees him, and asks him why he is there, because everyone is suppose to be in their rooms. Antonio doesn’t trust Bosola and tells him to stay away from the Duchess. In his distraction and agitation, Antonio accidentally drops a horoscope for his son’s birthday, which Bosola takes. He realizes what it means, and decides to send it to the Duchess’ brothers with Castruccio. Act 2, Scene 4- The Cardinal’s rooms: The Cardinal and his mistress, Julia, are having a conversation, when a messenger calls the Cardinal away with an important message. Delio enters to find Julia alone. He was once a suitor of hers and offers to give her money. Julia leaves to meet her husband, Castruccio, and Delio is afraid that Castuccio being there means that Antonio’s secret marriage has been discovered. Act 2, Scene 5- Rome, in Ferdinand’s private apartments: A furious Ferdinand, having recieved the letter from Bosola, meets with his brother, the Cardinal, to discuss what they believe to be a horrible act by their sister. Ferdinand is angry to the point of shouting about his sister’s “whorish” behavior (he knows of the child, but not of the marriage), and the Cardinal struggles to control his brother’s anger. Ferdinand then resolves to discover the man his sister is seeing.

Act 3: Katie Newton & Ammar Moheize Katie Newton (Act 3, Scenes 1-2) __Act 3, Scene 1 Summary__: Delio has been gone for several years, and as the scene opens Antonio welcomes Delio back. Antonio informs Delio that the Duchess has had two more children since he left—a daughter and a second son. Delio has not returned alone—bringing Ferdinand along with him. Antonio fears Ferdinand because he is unsure of his building anger towards the duchess and himself. Ferdinand tells the Duchess that he has found a husband for her (Count Malateste), however because she is secretly married to Antonio, she refuses and brushes him off. Ferdinand then speaks with Bosola to discover that Bosola has a key to the Duchess’ room, and they speculate who the father of her children is, and what is to come.

__Act 3, Scene 1 Analysis__: Ferdinand is still in the dark regarding his sister’s marriage to Antonio, and is desperately attempting to get her under his own power. Bosola’s possession of the skeleton key is a symbol of his growing knowledge of all the Duchess’ secrets. Multiple characters know there is more drama to come, some fear it (Antonio), and others yearn for it (Bosola and Ferdinand).

__Act 3, Scene 2 Summary__: Antonio and the Duchess meet in her bedroom. Antonio plans to sleep there, and the two discuss why lovers sleep beside one another. Then Antonio leaves so she is able to get ready for bed, and Ferdinand sneaks in. Her brother gives her a knife, so that she will kill herself. The Duchess reveals that she is married. Ferdinand flies into a rage and goes to leave, refusing to see her ever again. Antonio rushes into the room with a pistol, but Ferdinand has already left, and the Duchess tells him to leave her room. Bosola then comes in and tells the Duchess that her brother has left for Rome, yet in order to save her husband, she tells Bosola that Antonio has messed up her accounts, publically “fights” with Antonio, and then banishes him. She then secretly tells him to flee to Ancona, and says she will send him all her “treasure and jewels” (III.ii.173). After the banishment Bosola tells the Duchess that Antonio is a good man, and that her banishment of him was unnecessary. She then reveals the truth of her marriage to Bosola.

__Act 3, Scene 2 Analysis__: Ferdinand’s sneaky behavior shows his distrust of his sister. He is uncompassionate towards her, and wishes for her to take her own life. He is obviously unable to control his rage and temper, as is shown in his overreaction to the Duchess’ marriage. The Duchess and Antonio address the situation cleverly, which shows that the Duchess is a smart woman, fully able to make decisions for herself. Bosola’s role as spy for Ferdinand, and now confidant to the Duchess, puts him in an awkward position, and his loyalties are to be tested.

Ammar Moheize (Act 3, Scenes 3-5) __Act 3, Scene 3 Summary__: In the palace in Rome, Ferdinand and his men discuss construction in Naples. When they leave, the Cardinal and Malateste continue to speak in private. Ferdinand and his men are critical of Malateste for being too much of a coward to fight. Bosola interrupts the Cardinal and Malateste with news of the Duchess. The Cardinal leaves to start drafting up plans for the Duchess' exile. Meanwhile, Bosola leaves to tell the Duchess' first son, from her previous marriage, the news of his mother.

__Act 3, Scene 3 Analysis:__ Ferdinand and his posse criticizing Malateste shows just how bad a person Ferdinand is. It also shows his lust and greed for power and violence. Bosola has done what was needed of him, to find the Duchess. The fact that the Cardinal is drafting up the plans for her exile is a prelude to Scene 4 when we see just how corrupt he really is.

__Act 3, Scene 4 Summary__: The scene opens in Ancona with two pilgrims visiting the shrine and bearing witness to the Cardinal putting on his war garb. The Cardinal then takes the Duchess' wedding ring and banishes her and her family. The pilgrims are left to ponder the reason for what they have just seen.

__Act 3, Scenes 4 Analysis__: Scene 4 is by far the most important scene in ACT 3. The Pilgrims who bear witness to the Cardinal resigning his position to become a soldier is symbolic of the violent nature of the play. Where even a man of the cloth can become violent and cruel. This scene is also fitting because it shows the Cardinal's true colors in front of two third-party witnesses, who end up discussing his actions. This is a relatively paramount discussion since they are questioning his decision making as well as punishment towards his sister. This questioning of Church authority is rare and intentional in this play. It brings into question the morality of the Church and if the greed of men can outweigh their fear of God.

__Act 3, Scene 5 Summary__: The family in exile is near Loreto. Bosola enters and gives the Duchess a letter from Ferdinand demanding that Antonio be killed. The Duchess urges Bosola to take the eldest child to safety in Milan, which he does. With the help of his masked guards, he then takes the Duchess and her family hostage as per the orders from his brothers.

__Act 3, Scene 5 Analysis:__ This scene simply shows how trusting the Duchess is of Bosola, and also shows how much of an opportunist Bosola is. Playing on the Duchess' fear, he gains her trust and then immediately takes advantage of it by arresting her and her family. This is a pivotal scene, it sets the stage for the rest of the play in that now every character has been exposed to the Duchess and she knows their true identities and motives.

Act 4: Alex Ibanez

__Act 4, Scene 1 Summary:__ We find the Duchess in a cell, at Amalfi, when Ferdinand and Bosola come in. Ferdinand is not satisfied with how the Duchess is not suffering enough from her imprisonment. He leaves telling Bosola to tell the Duchess that he wishes to not see her anymore but will speak to her. The lights go out and Ferdinand returns with a dead man’s hand, as a mock to Antonio’s hand; the hand has a wedding band. The duchess is presented the hand and is told that it is Antonio’s. The scene moves to a spectacle put on by Bosola where he presents silhouettes in the shape of Antonio and his and the Duchess children being murdered. The duchess leaves the scene in misery and then Ferdinand comes in with Bosola as he tries to explain how he does not want to be part of the scheme anymore. Ferdinand at this point seems to have lost his wit and commands Bosola to return to Milan where Antonio is at.

__Act 4, Scene 1 Analysis:__ How the duchess relates to others in the story and what seems to connect all the characters may be what lies underneath the surface of their head, from The Duchess hopeless despair to Ferdinand’s monstrous borderline sadism. We can quickly see how The act of The Duchess husband and children would bring her despair. But what prompts Ferdinand to act so cruel? We see that he calls the children “cubs” and he does not recognize the fact that the Duchess is married. He tells her the darkness suits her best, she does not deserve the light of day in his eyes. Though we see that he basically hates the duchess we slowly discover the truth about Ferdinand. Bosola, as outsider of the family has seemed to have fallen own a spiraling staircase. His sanity seems to waver as acts progress. He is committed to Ferdinand but has remorse for the Duchess, like an endless game he runs back and forth. At this point the talk of death is seen as an escape for those whose love seems impossible, like the allusion to Portia. The stars are a symbol of fate, but their stars are bleak when they speak.

__Act 4, Scene 2 Summary:__ Same place as in the previous scene, the Duchess enters with her maid, Cariola, as a mixture of madman and Bosola, disguised as an old man, are heard. The mad men enter as the Duchess inquires about their presence; the servant tells her that they are there for sport. Bosola tells the Duchess he will make her tomb. The attempt to mortify the Duchess is made though she already feels the call to death. Then Cariola is forced out, the Executioner and Bosola are left with the Duchess; the Executioner and Bosola then try to strangle her to “death.” Then enters Cariola, she is about to be strangled as she fights and announces her contract to a young gentlemen and how she may have a child in coming. The executioner takes out Cariola’s body as Ferdinand enters. He states that the Duchess and he are twins as well as how if she continued as a widow he hoped to inherit her money. He then continues to tell Bosola that he pardons this murder though Bosola thought he was clearly told to kill the Duchess. Ferdinand leaves and Bosola is left with the Duchess body contemplating his sanity. The Duchess wakes from death only to murmur “Antonio” and “mercy.” Bosola sees her finally die and leaves to Milan.

__Act 4, Scene 2 Analysis:__ Cariola and Bosola act as foils to the Duchess mortality; there is also a consistent use of death as a theme in order to reflect sanity and identity of the characters. Cariola has her whole future whereas the Duchess seems to have no one to live for, so she waits with unwavering acceptance. Cariola at the time of her death seemed to kick and find any excuse to not die. Though both of their lives where different and had different lives waiting they both met the same fate. In this scene it becomes more evident that it is the bravery/ cowardice with which each character meets their fate with. It may be the complexity that Bosola has set up by creating the lie of Antonio’s death, but the Duchess was already ready to meet her fate. Her sanity seems more established as Bosola and the Executioner’s roles start to blend; both kill the Duchess, her children, and Cariola (who may go to hell because has not gone to confession). Bosola not only took their lives but may have damned Cariola. Bosola then becomes a more complicated figure as he seems to borderline between the Duchess “sympathizer” and Ferdinand’s henchman. But the ordeal furthers as Ferdinand reveals his intentions and himself as the Duchess twin. It would then not seem evident that he did not want the Duchess to meet her mortality in scene one of act four but he admits that he did not want her dead to Bosola only after Bosola has executed the Duchess. Furthermore the detail and Imagery of the tomb making becomes very graphic as Bosola entertains the idea of what the body is at death, an object of decay, isolation, and worm food. It seems as the Madmen are there to entertain heretic ideals, which makes the servants comment slightly humorous and severely ironic, how they have happened to have entertained the pope. There is also a contestant use of birds as symbols: like the nightingale and the turtledove which are symbolic lovers, the redbreast robin, the owl, and the whistler which the text says is a bird premonitory of death.

Act 5: Roxana

__Act 5, Scene 1 Summary:__ Four days after the death of his love and children, Antonio speaks with Delio in a public square in Milan. Antonio wishes to reconcile with the Duke and the Cardinal, but Delio informs Antonio that the two have seized all of his land, entrusted to a Marquis of Pescara. Antonio hides as Delio talks to the nearby Pescara. Delio then asks Pescara to leave him (Delio) the land of Antonio. Pescara immediately declines this offer and wishes to tell Delio the reason why once they are in private. Julia, the young wife of Castruccio and the mistress of the Cardinal enters. She hands Pescara a letter from the Cardinal. The letter states the land be given to Julia; Pescara bestows her with the land. Delio becomes upset at this, but Pescara explains, “It was Antonio’s land; not forfeited/ By course of law, but ravished from his throat/ By the Cardinal’s entreaty” (lines 41-43). Pescara continues to let Delio know that Ferdinand has come to Milan due to a stroke and has gone mad. Once Pescara leaves, Antonio comes back out of hiding and Delio questions Antonio of what he wishes to do now. Antonio quietly states that he wishes to go see the Cardinal in the middle of the night.

__Act 5, Scene 1 Analysis__:

At this point, the audience is unsure of whether or not Antonio knows of the death of his lover and children. He seems to be extremely persistent in gaining back all that he has previously lost, whether it is land or the relationship he once had with Ferdinand and the Cardinal. The way that the land is quickly shifted from being in the hands of Pescara to then Julia parallels the way in which the royals treat Antonio. They do not care about his wellbeing; they would rather be done with him than reconcile. In contrast, the strength behind Delio and Antonio’s friendship is sweetly demonstrated.

__Act 5, Scene 2 Summary__:

The scene opens with Pescara speaking with the doctor of the Duke. The doctor informs Pescara that the Duke has a disease called “lycanthropia,” which is when a person thinks they are a wolf and goes about digging dead bodies. The Duke was seen digging up a dead man a few days prior. The Duke then gives a display of this madness in front of the Cardinal, Malateste, Pescara, and Bosola. The Duke gets taken away. In an aside the Cardinal murmurs that no one must know that he had any part in his sister’s murder. Bosola knows that the Cardinal had something to do with the murder, despite how much he tries to pretend he does not. The Cardinal then asks Bosola to find Antonio and kill him. Bosola then puts ideas into Julia, making her question what the Cardinal has been up to. Julia then goes to question the Cardinal and he confesses! Julia wants to tell his secret and so he kills her. Bosola, who was in hiding as the confession was being made, pops out of his hiding spot. Now the Cardinal and Bosola are both under the same “murderer” title. Bosola still agrees to kill Antonio but once the Cardinal is out of the room, in an aside he states that he will join up with Antonio to fight for justice.

__Act 5, Scene 2 Analysis__:

Within the scene, one can observe how crazy the Duke has become. He wants to be alone and becomes frightened over any little thing. The repercussions of killing his sister are now starting to affect him. Interestingly, the way in which Bosola uses Julia to find out information, and then how quickly she is killed, shows how easily this society of people can rid of women. The end of the scene Bosola has a change of heart and decides to be on the side of Antonio. Perhaps the guilt of killing the Duchess is causing him to change sides. He does end by saying, “Still, methinks the Duchess/ Haunts me. There, there, ‘tis nothing but my melancholy” (lines 328-329).

__Act 5, Scene 3 Summary__:

This scene takes place by the Cardinal’s palace at “moldering ruins” where there is an echo that mimics that of Antonio’s wife. It “says” that he should not go to the Cardinal’s palace. Antonio, though, is persistent and Delio supports his decision.

__Act 5, Scene 3 Analysis__:

This scene is foreshadowing and looming on the next scenes. There is a sense of darkness and mystery presented with Echo. Echo having the same type of voice as the wife of Antonio is not coincidental. Echo saying “Thou art a dead thing” (line 38) presents a strong hint for the scene to come.

__Act 5, Scene 4 Summary__:

The Cardinal orders Pescara, Malateste, Roderigo, and Grisolan to bed. The reason for doing so is because he wants to have an easier time transporting Julia’s body. The Cardinal is also planning on killing Bosola after his help. Bosola, overhearing this, begins to plot a death plan as well. Antonio and a servant appear behind Bosola. The servant goes to fetch a lantern. While the servant leaves, Bosola accidentally kills Antonio, thinking it was the Cardinal. Antonio does not fight to live for he wishes to meet his wife and children in the next life. Before dying Antonio asks for his body to be given to Delio and for his “son to fly the courts of princes” (line 73).

__Act 5, Scene 4 Analysis__:

Even though Bosola sent out this night to finally redeem his guilt, he murders the one person he was indebted to. Bosola’s wrongdoings are getting greater and greater; perhaps showing that once someone stains their hands with blood, there is no return to innocence. Antonio dies peacefully knowing he has his family waiting for him. He also foreshadows the rise of his son into royal power.

__Act 5, Scene 5 Summary__:

The scene opens with the Cardinal pondering over his guilty conscience. Bosola enters with intent to kill him. The Cardinal pleads for help, but since he hastily has sent everyone off to bed, they do not respond to his pleas. Pescara, with deep concern, decides to go down and see what the fuss is about. Meanwhile, Bosola and the Cardinal continue with their fight. The mad Ferdinand, hearing the commotion, comes in with his sword. He charges at both Bosola and his brother. Bosola, with the last bit of strength, stabs Ferdinand. The men then come rushing in. Bosola explains to them all of that has happened, including the previous murders. Just as all the hurt men pass away, Delio enters with Antonio’s son and tells the men that this boy should now become the new Duke.

__Act 5, Scene 5 Analysis:__

Bosola finally kills the men he wanted to kill, but dies in the midst of doing so. Bosola’s final speech significantly helps to mentally restore the kingdom. He states, “Let worthy minds ne’er stagger in distrust/ To suffer death or shame for what is just” (lines 99-100). Each murderer gets their death, and the kingdom is restored to order with the accompanying of a new Duke.

=<span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The Duchess of Malfi Missing Passage =

=<span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Act 2 Scene 6 =

(Katie Newton) DUCHESS I fear that if my brothers are to learn of our marriage, They will bear themselves severely. Ferdinand is the more to be feared: I have seen many an outburst cometh from this man. ANTONIO Do, then, we have an ally in the Cardinal? DUCHESS I am not in the position to believe it so. ANTONIO In this case, we are to steal away as soon as is probable! DUCHESS I am unable to do any sort of “stealing” at the present. I tire still from the pregnancy and birth. ANTONIO Certainly, my dear. [//Enter// Delio] DELIO Noble friends, I am to take departure of this court Alongside the fair duchess’ brother Ferdinand. I wish for nothing more than to stay here in this time of distress, But I am to leave by the morn for Rome. ANTONIO This news is grievous but gentle. The departure of Ferdinand could not come at any better a time. Let me be full of sorrow at your departure, Yet pleased at the departure of your company. [//Exit// Delio]

(Stephen Larsen) ANTONIO Fair Duchess, The stars are bright and the threat has passed, at least for present. Let us take mirthful possession of this, our hour of freedom! The babe yet sleeps, his eyes reposed In the angelic expression of innocence. Let us employ a trusted servant to watch over him- The precious, tender moments between man and wife Seem rare in arrival of late, But we must grasp them as children gather blossoms: When the season is ripe! DUCHESS My fair and loyal husband, thou speakest true. The vital distance between my brother’s wrath and its object May serve to cool his fevered head, And I likewise feel a lightening of heart As if a great cloud has been rolled away, And precious sunbeams flow forth to illuminate my recovered humor: I too perceive the blossoms of spring! Let us call to us our dear Cariola. [//Enter// Cariola] CARIOLA O, how the gray visages of mourners are lifted Like petty masks! And both assume more fitting colors, Glowing with the bright hues of blushing lovers. What lightens your hearts so? DUCHESS Ferdinand, my wrathful and injudicious brother, Departs tomorrow on errand for Rome. The vast distance between his hot temper and our cool bodies Frees our minds from his pending menace. Good Cariola, do watch over the sleeping babe for a moment. CARIOLA As you wish, Lady. [Exit Duchess and Antonio] CARIOLA O how the peeking Sun doth brighten The glossy hills, as he lifts his shining head From behind the thundering cloud. But would it be deemed rash indeed For the hare to halt his frantic task By which he molds his shelter from the storm? For the fickle sun may hide his head Again, and leave the happy hare Defenseless, and more naked than before! (Alejandro Ibanez) [//Exeun//t Cariola, //Enter// Ferdinand] FERDINAND Fie! Shall I know the mongrel that bore the beast that will descend the reaches of the Duchess deathly tomb. But to first consider what sulphurous pit shall Scorpio’s Tail unveil the now stained sheet upon my sister’s Head. With a ring most suited around her neck, A girdle that tightens fast upon her chest. Or shall the deathly task take on to another? [//Enter// Bosola] BOS OLA To what does your temperament stead fast? More suited to a bull. And still like a preying hawk You set ignorant eyes. Might bright Athena’s Owl fix your glance. //Oh hush you quiver and eyes glance steadily at me.// //Methinks all suspensions of you, me again.// //Another atrocity?// //[////Enter// //Cariola]// //CARIOLA// //Duchess? Duchess?// //Your babe need suckle from mothers tit.// //Oh and how can husband and wife gather at such// //Stars light. Can the horizon be dusk or dawn? And to which// //Can Light lay complexion?// //Oh, Ferdinand. Bosola.//

(Roxana Ashtari) FERDINAND Cariola, Cariola. Come hither thy sweet servant. You have always been of great service to my sister, Ever since you were but a mere babe. I remember choosing you as her maid, Since your mother hath such a strong arm. You may feel the need to thank me for such A wondrous deed: Putting you and my sister together, So that you may see how nobles reside. CARIOLA Yes, sir. I thank thee. I will forever thank thee For placing me into the lives of such astounding family. (bows, respectfully) (Cariola tries to exit the room) FERDINAND Eh, Cariola, my sweet. Where doth thou go in such a rush? Come, sit and speak with Bosola and me. I have but of some light information to ask of you. .. CARIOLA (//Hesitantly//) Ah, yes sir. Pardon me, sir. FERDINAND Ah, well. (//glances over at Bosola with fiery eyes)// You musn’t be afraid to tell me, Her brother, what you have seen, dear Cariola. We all know of her dear babe, The newest addition to our noble realm. As someone who spendeth such time with her, You must know of some, er, gentleman Who has come within her presence? BOSOLA Cariola, the information you share, Will be kept in grave confidence. You shalln’t be concerned with any consequence. CARIOLA Pardon me, sirs, but nay, I have yet to see or hear Anything of suspicion that would be of your use. Forgive me, sirs, but I best be on my way to the Duchess. [Exit Cariola] BOSOLA (boastfully//)// Ferdinand, you must then use me then, Your loyal servant, to fetch such information. Doth not worry, I am your spy and will find What your sister is hiding, even if years do pass!

(Jessica Caffarel)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 11pt;">Your foolhardy behavior will be the end of you…
(Ammar Moheize)

Onwards, you stand marked.
=**<span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Missing Passage Rewrite **=

(Katie Newton) DUCHESS I am really nervous about what my brothers will do if they find out about our marriage. Ferdinand is known to lose his cool, and I never know what he is going to do next. ANTONIO Well, what about the Cardinal? Would he be someone we could confide in, and be confidant that he will not lash out? DUCHESS That I do not know. I think it is safest to assume otherwise. ANTONIO Well then, we need to leave as soon as we can! DUCHESS I will do nothing of the sort. I just gave birth for Christ’s sake, I am tired. ANTONIO Right, sorry. Never mind then. [//Enter// DELIO] DELIO I’m glad you are both here. I am leaving for Rome tonight with your brother, Ferdinand. I really wish I could stay here with you two, especially right after your son’s birth, but I have to go with him. ANTONIO This is great news! Not that you are leaving of course, but that Ferdinand is. [//Exit// Delio]

(Stephen Larsen) ANTONIO My love, our luck looks good and the threat has passed for the time being. Let’s take advantage of our freedom! The baby is asleep, his eyes closed And he looks as innocent as an angel. Let’s get a servant to watch him ¾ We have so little private time lately We should take advantage of it when we can, Just like children gather flowers When the season allows them to. DUCHESS You’re right. My brother is going so far away from us That it may cool his temper, And I feel better too, Like a great cloud has been dispersed And the sunlight puts me in a better mood. Let’s call Cariola. CARIOLA Oh, your sad faces have brightened, And now you look (more appropriately) Like lovers rather than mourners. What makes you guys so happy? DUCHESS My angry and unfair brother Leaves tomorrow for Rome. The great distance between his anger and us Makes us not have to worry so much about him. Watch over our baby for a little bit. CAROLINA Okay. [//Exit// Duchess and Antonio] CARIOLA When we see the sun peek out from behind the clouds It lightens the scenery. But would it be considered hasty and thoughtless If a rabbit stopped building his shelter when he saw this? Because the sun can easily slip back behind the clouds And leave the rabbit Vulnerable and worse off than before!

(Alejandro Ibanez) [Exists Cariola, Enters Ferdinand] FERDINAND Ugh! If only I know the beast my sister gave birth too. And how they will be buried along with her. But first how shall she go to hell. And what do the stars say About her impure marriage? More appropriate would the Noose seem to fit a ring around her, or a belt tight enough to take life. But I could not do it how about someone else. I am her brother. [Enter Bolosa] BOSOLA I can hear you raving on about something. Why do you sound mad? Like some raging bull, and still you seem more on the Offensive, like a hawk. Not even a godess like Athena Can give you wisdom. But why are you looking at me like that? You are starting to seem really suspicious. [Enters Cariola] Duchess where are you? Your baby is hungry and I do not think I can feed it. Husband and wives. They take a long time. They were quicker last time. But that horizon looks beautiful. And this lighting. Dusk or dawn? Where is the difference? Oh Ferdinand and Bosola..

(Roxana Ashtari) FERDINAND Cariola, Cariola. Come here, woman! You were always such an awesome servant to my sis, Ever since you were super young! I remember choosing you for her, Well, I did so since your mother looked so strong. You should be thanking me for Doing you such a favor: Of putting you and my sister together, So that you may get the advantage of knowing how elite people live. CARIOLA Yes, yes. Thank you. I will always thank you For placing me into the hands of such an amazing family. (//Shakes Ferdinand's hand)

(Cariola tries to leave the room as fast as possible!)//

FERDINAND Uhh, Cariola, my love! Where are you trying to leave to in such a hurry? Come over here, sit, talk with Bosola and me. I just wanted to know something... CARIOLA //(hesitating)// Uh, ya sure. Excuse me. FERDINAND Ok, well. //(Gives Bosola a sly wink)// You shouldn't be worried to tell me, Her bro, of what you've seen going on, Cariola. We all know of her baby, The latest addition to our rich world. As someone who spends so much time with her, You must know of some sort of dude Who comes around all the time? BOSOLA Cariola, you know the info that you share with us, Will be kept as a secret. Don't worry, there won't be a consequence for whatever you disclose. CARIOLA Uh, well, excuse me guys, but nope, I haven't seen or heard Anything that would help you two. Sorry guys, but I need to be heading up to see the Duchess. [Exit Cariola] BOSOLA //(arrogantly)// Ferdinand, you obviously need to use me, Your best friend, to sneak out who the father is. No worries, I will be an awesome spy and will figure it out, Even if it takes years!

(Jessica Caffarel)

Your foolish behavior will cost you…
(Ammar Moheize) FERDINAND Bosola, I know you have great instincts. You make a great spy. I just can’t believe that my sister would be so selfish, to put my fortune in jeopardy like that. C’mon, lets go talk to the Cardinal, we’ll kick back with a couple brewskies and listen to him, he always knows what’s best. BOSOLA Fer Sher (Exit Ferdinand and Bosola, enter Cariola) CARIOLA Oh, why did I go into the room? (Looking at baby) You will definitely live a troubled life thanks to those ogres. They’re just little boys playing with their swords, thinking they’re hot shit. I wont let anything happen to you, while they go get drunk, you and your parents will leave. (Enter Antonio and Duchess) ANTONIO Some people may think that my love for you is a waste of my time, but you are just too much for me not to love. DUCHESS (Looking at Cariola) What’s wrong? Is it the baby? CARIOLA Duchess, it isn’t safe. I overheard Ferdinand and Bosola talking. Ferdinand wants to get to the bottom of all this and find Ferdinand. You guys have to leave, take your baby and make a good home. And whatever you do, don’t trust your brother. =<span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">WORKS CITED: = Farr, James R. __A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance__. Ruggiero, Guido, ed. Blackwell companions to history. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006. Fragnito, Gigliola. "Cardinals' Courts in Sixteenth-century Rome." //The Journal of Modern History//, 65.1 (1993): 26.

Greeblatt, Stephen, gen. ed. //The Norton Anthology of English literature//, New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2006. Print.

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Perceptions of London.” Literary London: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Representation of London 4.1 (2006): MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> “Political Thought in the 16th Century.” __Licomarconi.__ 27 April 2010. <[]>

Lyons, Albert. "Medical History-The Seventeenth Century." //Health Guidance// (2010): n. pag. Web. 14 May 2010. <http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/6350/1/Medical-History--The-Seventeenth-Century.html>. Phillips, Mary. "Midwives Versus Medics." //SAGE Journals Online// 2.1 (2007): 27-44. Web. 14 May 2010. <http://moh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/1/27>. Renzi, Silvia De. "Medical competence, anatomy and the polity in seventeenth-century Rome." //Journal of the Society of Renaissance Studies// 21.4 (2007): 551-567. Web. 17 Apr 2010. <http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/117987518/HTMLSTART>

Sim, Alison. __The Tudor Housewife__. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1996.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">“The Duchess of Malfi”. __Wikipedia__. Wikipedia Foundation. <[]> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whigham, Frank. "Sexual and Social Mobility in The Duchess of Malfi." //PMLA: Publications of the Modern Language Association of America// 100.2 (1985): 167-186. //MLA International Bibliography//. EBSCO. Web. 23 Apr. 2010. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 26px;">Wickersham, Jane K. (2004). Inquisitors, texts, and ritual: The prosecution of heresy in sixteenth-century Italy. Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, United States -- Indiana. Retrieved May 3, 2010, from Dissertations & Theses: A&I.(Publication No. AAT 3133984)