Duchess Of Malfi Key Quotes Flashcards
(10 cards)
“Integrity of life is fames best friend which nobly, beyond death, shall crown the end”
Idea of honesty & loyalty.
“She’s a young widow I would not have her marry again”
Idea that the Duchess cannot decide her own free will. Male gaze & oppression.
“Pull & pull strongly your able strength must pull heaven down upon me”.
Her desire to perish with female lack of rights.
“Why should only I, of all the other princes of the word, be cased up like a holy relic? I have youth & a little beauty”
Duchess refers to herself as a prince again & wants to think about her body natural. Links to Queen Elizabeth 1 referring to themselves frequently as ‘prince’.
Madmen
A symbol for corruption within the court.
“Can this ambitious age have so much worth in’t as to prefer a man merely for worth, without these shadows of wealth & painted honours”
Truth- meritocracy & aristocracy.
“He & his brother are like plum trees that grow crooked over standing pools; they are rich & o’erladen, stagnant with fruit, but none but crowd, pies & caterpillar feed on them”
Image of decay, agrarian brothers (over-watching, suspicious)
“Miserable age, where only the reward of doing well is doing it”
Sycophancy of Bosola’s role in court, deception of him being a spy.
“Old friends, like swords still are trusted best”
Foreshadows trust & betrayal.
Female sexuality
- “I will marry you for your honour” (ironic as she didn’t marry for honour but for lust- love, independence & defiance.
- “the marriage night is the entrance into some prison” (cardinal)
- “worst for torture, pain & fear” (high rate of morality: for Duchess)
- “‘Twas my wedding ring & I did vow never to part with it but to my second husband” (love & marriage also deception & trickery)
- theme of trust & betrayal but also appearance & reality: “what was it with such violence he took off from his finger” (loss of corruption of court & hierarchy)
