The Dark Drama in 'The Duchess of Malfi'

It is a famous tragic play written by English playwright John Webster. The play is known for its dark themes, complex characters, and intense drama.

Story

The play is set in Italy, and the central character is the Duchess of Malfi, whose brothers are Ferdinand, and Cardinal.

The Duchess has recently become a widow and decides to marry Antonio, her steward, in secret.

Her brothers, especially Ferdinand, strongly oppose this marriage, as they want to control her wealth and maintain their family’s honor.

Her brother Ferdinand, consumed by jealousy and anger, hires Bosola, a former servant, to spy on the Duchess.

Bosola discovers her secret marriage and presents evidence to Ferdinand.
He decides to take extreme measures. He manipulates the Duchess into believing that Antonio has been executed, which drives her to madness

Ferdinand

Ferdinand is characterized by his intense jealousy and desire for control.

He hires Bosola to spy on his sister and is willing to use any means, including violence and deception, to maintain his control over her. His actions lead to a series of tragic events, including the deaths of several characters.

Cardinal

He is like Ferdinand, driven by ambition and a desire for power and wealth.
His actions reveal a complete lack of a moral compass.

Cardinal conspires to have the Duchess and her family members killed, showing no remorse for his part in the tragedy that unfolds.

The Tragic Unraveling

When her brothers knew about her secret marriage, they catch her and locked her in the palace.

They gave her a dead man’s hand with their wedding ring, and a waxed figure of her children dead.

She thought that was her real family but she didn’t lose hope which makes Ferdinand’s plan fail.

After that, he decided to kill her family and punish her with them and end her life.
Ferdinand couldn’t control himself and went to kill Cardinal because he thought he was an enemy, and tried to kill Bosola but he defeated himself and kill Ferdinand.

Themes

The struggle for power and control is central to the plot.
The characters, particularly Ferdinand and the Cardinal, are obsessed with maintaining their authority and social status, often at the expense of others.

The play is also marked by violence, murder, and acts of revenge.

References

Pacheco An & Johnson Da (eds) 2010, 'The Renaissance and Long Eighteenth Century', London.