Duchess of Malfi critical quotes Flashcards
(18 cards)
1
Q
D’s desire
A
- ‘the Duchess is a hero of desire’
Woodbridge
2
Q
impact of D’s death
A
- “The radiant spirit of the Duchess cannot be killed.”
P.B Murray
3
Q
Brother’s motive
A
- the brothers are driven by ‘delight in malice itself, a “motiveless malignity”’
Christopher Hart
4
Q
Cardinal
A
- ‘the Cardinal’s cool, unemotional detachment is more terrifying than Ferdinand’s impassioned raving’
Lee Bliss
5
Q
D’s death
A
- ‘achieves heroism through her death’
R.S. White
6
Q
D’s autonomy
A
- the Duchess ‘challenges Jacobean society’s views regarding the representation of the female body and women’s sexuality’
Janowski
7
Q
Incest
A
- ‘modern abhorrence of incest combined with a morbid fascination’
Sarah Olsen
8
Q
D as a central character
A
- the Duchess is an usual central character for a 17th century tragedy because ‘as a woman, she combines virtue with powerful sexual desire’
Callaghan
9
Q
Secrets
A
- ‘a play obsessed with secrets’
Micheal O’Neil
10
Q
how W sees the world and morality
A
- ‘The world as seen by [Webster] is , of it’s nature incurably corrupt’
David Cecil
11
Q
D’s death as tragic
A
- ‘exceeds the just bounds of tragedy’
William Hazlitt
12
Q
Public vs private
A
- ‘the duchess seeks private happiness at the expense of public stability’
Lee Bliss
13
Q
Significance of the Duchess’ death
A
- ‘the heroine dies well before the end of the play so that the significance of her death can be explored’
Jacqueline Pearson
14
Q
Bosola
A
- ‘Bosola is generally recognised as a man divided against himself’
David Gunby
15
Q
D+A’s marriage
A
- ‘wilful and irresponsible’
Rabkin
16
Q
Ultimate tragedy
A
- ‘the ultimate tragedy of Webster’s world is not the death of any individual but the presence of evil and decay which drags all mankind to death’
Travis Bogard
17
Q
F’s desire
A
- ‘he doesn’t control them, they control him’
John McRae
18
Q
female desire
A
- ‘[female desire was seen as a] disease and a monstrous abnormality’
Callaghan
