Explore the representation of the Duchess in Act One Scene One of the Duchess of Malfi
Explore the representation of the Duchess in Act One Scene One John Webster’s ‘The Duchess of Malfi,’ derived from ‘Palace of Pleasure,’ attributable to William Painter, combines controversy, deceit, betrayal and passion to create a piece of enigmatic and contentious distinctions. ... His central character, the questionable and controversial Duchess, is introduced in the opening scene of the play, and her distinctive disposition is further advanced as the scene progresses, allowing a deeper insight into the intricacies of this fascinating individual. The task of introducing the Duchess falls to Antonio, who, between lines 182 and 199 of the relevant scene, presents his personal view of the aforesaid, an inclusion immediately questionable, as it is apparent that this portrayal is opinionated and therefore the outlined attributes are debatable. The depiction of the Duchess indicated here is an immediate and very obvious contrast to the previous descriptions of the Aragonian brothers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal. ... ’(1:1, 180-1) Subsequent to these insightful representations begins the analysis of ‘their sister, the right noble Duchess’, and line 182, in which the fundamental female is first introduced, can thus be described as an effective ‘turning phrase.’ Almost at once, any idea that the Duchess possesses the unfavourable characteristics of her siblings is dispersed, indicating she is of superior status, in relation to personality and social hierarchy. This phrase, which precedes the emotive description, offers little or no insight into Antonio’s incredibly personal perception of the pertinent Duchess, and, at this point, the court steward is seemingly impartial. ... Webster is able to effectively emit Antonio’s perception through extensive language manipulation, most evident through the repetition of significant words such as ‘noble’ (1:1, 182,196), and the inclusion of religious references, most notably ‘rapture’ (185) and ‘penance’(189), only further implies that the Duchess is an individual to be worshipped. ... In addition, Webster uses Antonio’s speech to emphasise the undeniable influence and nobility that the Duchess retains, whilst remaining both charismatic and agreeable, perhaps most prominent between lines 190 and 192, where her perceptible ability to raise ‘a dead palsy’ to ‘a galliard’ is established.