Act 1 Scene 1

Question 1

How okay starts

Answer 1

En media’s res

Question 2

corruption in Antonio’s conversation with Delio

Answer 2

‘Flattering sycophants’

‘Some cursed example poison’t near the head, Death and diseases through the whole land spread.’ -

Question 3

How does bosola feel about the cardinal

Answer 3

Worst ‘devil’

Question 4

What do we learn about bosola through Antonio and delio

Answer 4

He was a murderer

Cardinal commissioned it
‘Suborned’

Question 5

Why does Antonio and delio appear on stage first

Answer 5

Outsiders view of the court and family

Question 6

Presentation of Ferdinand first

Answer 6

Asks a lot of questions

Arrogant - tells them when to laugh

‘Why do you laugh?’

Question 7

How to they respond to Ferdinand

Answer 7

‘My lord’ - respect and fear

Question 8

Sexual banter

Answer 8

‘Thou told’s me thy wife could not endure fighting’ —> excuses not to sleep with husband

Question 9

Reference to war and old man

Answer 9

‘Filling a solider’

‘Full of wounds’

‘It is fitting a soldier arise to be a prince, not necessary a prince descend to be captain’

Question 10

What the play show so far

Answer 10

Patriarchy and source of corruption

Question 11

Malcontent

Answer 11

A person who is dissatisfied towards corruption and rebellious

Have

Heroes v anti heroes 
Soliloquies 
Asides 
Low born - dependent of others for social development (Bosola)
Discontent

Question 12

Freytags pyramid

Answer 12

Exposition

Rising action

Climax

Falling action

Denouncement

Question 13

What theatrical reasons can you think of for the duchess only filmmaking a gradual entrance

Answer 13

Not in control of herself - patriarchal no voice

Mystery

Question 14

Antonio’s description of the duchess

Answer 14

‘Her discourse, it is so full of rapture’

‘While she speaks/ She throws upon a man so sweet a look’

‘She stains the time past, lights the time to come’.

Question 15

Antonio describing Antonio

Answer 15

‘Melancholy churchman’

‘Where he is jealous of any man he lays worse plots for them than ever was imposed on Hercules’

‘For he strews in his ways, flatters, panders, Intelligences, atheists, and a thousand such political monsters’

‘He did bestow bribes’

Question 16

Antonio describing Ferdinand

Answer 16

Most preserve and turbulent nature

Speaks with others’ tongues, and hears mens’ suits/ With others’ ears’

What appears in mirth is merely outside

Question 17

What unofficial role is bosola given in court

Answer 17

Providorship of horse

‘Whose throat must I cut’
Spy of duchess

Criminal and sinner

He doesn’t want to do it???
‘Take your devils’

Question 18

What does Ferdinands role in telling Bosola to spy, say about his character

Answer 18

Dark nature

Untrusting

Controlling

Arrogance

Question 19

What is the play based on and how old would the duchess be in this case

Answer 19

Historic events between 1508-1515

Duchess was Aragona whose father was an illigitimate son of Ferdinand I of Napes

As in the play, she secretly remarried after the dead of her first husband

Duchess - 19- young so should marry

Question 20

What reasons can you think of as to why her brothers may object to her remarriage.

Answer 20

Status

Reputation - noble and is women —> patriarchy

Control

Religion

Question 21

Compare ferdinands statements to the duchess with those addressed to her by the cardinal

Answer 21

Ferdinand ‘let not youth, high promotion, eloquence’ - against marriage

Cardinal ‘nor anything without honour sway your high blood’ - status

Question 22

The duchess speaks very little in this section.

What do you make of what she does say

Answer 22

‘Diamonds are of most value…passed through most jewellers’ hands’ - she still has value

‘I will not marry’ - obedient

Question 23

Given the duchess silence throughout most of this section - although she is subject to the conversation - what should her reactions be for the audience who observe her

Answer 23

Despair

Anger m

Annoyance

Shock

Question 24

Explain the imagery used in following quotations

“There is a kind of honey-dew that’s deadly”

Answer 24

Sweet, sticky, tempting but bad

Question 25

Explain the imagery used in following quotations

‘Hypocrisy is woven of a fine small thread/ subtler than Vulcan’s engine”

Answer 25

Vulcan used a net of very fine thread to catch Venus and Mars in adultry

Ferdinand -> Duchess will succumb to just

Question 26

Explain the imagery used in following quotations

‘Like the irregular crab/ Which, though it goes backwards, think that it goes right,/ Because it goes its own way’

Answer 26

Goes in the wrong direction because it follows it self - it’s heart - marry

Question 27

Explain the imagery used in following quotations

‘I would have you to give o’er these chargeable revels;/ A visor and a mask are whispering rooms/ That were ne’er built for goodness’

Answer 27

Court etc - spies - rumours - destroy her

Question 28

How does Ferdinand threaten Duchess

Answer 28

‘My father’s poinard’ - threat
‘Loath to see’t look rusty’ - ruin reputation

Phallic symbolism

Question 29

What does passage reveal about women views

Answer 29

Patriarchal

Demeaning

Objectifying

Question 30

What premonitions do you notice in this extract

Answer 30

She will marry - go against vows

Question 31

When the brothers have left the stage, what does the duchess’ monologue reveal about her true thoughts

Answer 31

She will marry - strong - will go against

‘Shall this move me?’