John Webster - The Duchess of Malfi Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in John Webster - The Duchess of Malfi Deck (34)
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1
Q

Which role is Bosola given?

A

‘provisorship o’ the [Queen’s] horse’

CP Taming of the Shrew, Tamer Tamed [Fletcher]

2
Q

What does the Duchess say before going to propose to Antonio>

A

‘for I am going into a wilderness’

3
Q

What does Ferdinand say will ahppen if Duchess marries?

A

like ‘the irregular crab
Which though it does backward, thinks it goes right
Because it goes its own way’

4
Q

What does the Duchess say of birds’ lives?

A

‘the birds live happier than we
For they may choose their mates’
‘the robin red-breast and the nightingale..never live long in cages’

5
Q

What does Duchess state to Bosola - ‘who am I’ etc

A

Duchess: Who am I?
Bos: THou art a box of worm-seed….a lark in a cage? Such is the soul in the body….
D: am I not thy Duchess? ..I am Duchess of Malfi still?

6
Q

What does Antonio say heaven ‘fashioned’?

A

Antonio: ‘Heaven fashioned us out of nothing, and we strive to bring ourselves to nothing’

7
Q

Bosola’s Petrarchan statement

A

Bosola: ‘off, my painted honour!
While with vain hopes our faculties we tire
We seem to sweat in ice and freeze in fire’

8
Q

What does Bosola say we are like? what contradicts this?

A

Bosola: ‘we are only like dead walls…that, ruined, yield no echoes’
CP Duchess’ echoes to Antonio

9
Q

Doctor, of Ferdinand - what does this recall?

A

‘a wolf’s skin was hairy on the outside, his on the inside’

recalls sackcloth - penitence garment

10
Q

What does Bosola state he is when he is given provisiorship of the horse?

A

‘a familiar’

11
Q

How does Bosola say his corruption will arise?

A

‘My corruption grew out of horse dung: I am your creature’

‘sometimes the devil doth preach’

12
Q

What does Bosola distinguish between?

A

‘good men…good deeds….good fame’ and ‘place and riches [from] bribes of shame’

13
Q

How does Duchess suggest to raise Antonio?

A

‘This goodly roof of yours is too low-built:
I cannot stand upright in it, nor discourse’
[after synbolic raising] ‘now the ground’s broke’

14
Q

What does Duchess rue when proposing to A?

A

‘The misery of us that are bron great! …as a tyrant doubles with with words….so we
Are fored to express our violent passions
IN riddles and in dreams, and leae the path
Of simple virtue, which was never made
To seem the thing it is not’

15
Q

What does Cariola worry about the Duchess for?

A

‘A fearful madness. I owe her much of pity’

16
Q

What does Bosola worry about to Ferdinand?

A

‘the office of justice is perceived quite whien one thief hangs anohter’
[I] ‘rather sought to appera a true servant than an honest man’

17
Q

What does Bosola say about seeming?

A

‘there are many a ways that conduct ot seeming honour, ad some…very dirty ones’

18
Q

What does Bosola say to the Cardinal about falling?

A

Thou fallsy faster of yourself than calamity can drive thee;

19
Q

What does Ferdinand say about being ‘cut’?

A

‘Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust

Like diamonds, we are cut with our own dust’

20
Q

Bosola - on worthy minds

A

‘let worthy minds….suffer death or shame for what is just’

21
Q

What does Antonio say about ambition before he marries Duchess?

A

‘a saucy and ambitious devil’
accuses Bosola of being ‘a saucy slave’
‘Ambition is a great man’s madness
Not kept in chains…but in fair lightsome lodgings’

22
Q

Bosola to the Duhcess - ironic on Antonio

A

‘will you….rather to examine men’s pedigrees than virtues’

23
Q

Bosola - on being raised vs writing/creativity

A

‘For this act I am certain to be raised

As men who paint weeds to the life are praised’

24
Q

WHat does Bosola say about his nature

A

‘an actor in the main of all

Much gainst my own good nature’

25
Q

What does the Duhcess say to Cariola about her reputation?

A

‘more than my life is my fame’

26
Q

What does Ferdinand say about DUchess’ ‘witch-craft’?

A

‘the witch-craft lies in her rank blood’

27
Q

waht does Ferdinand say is imperfect?

A

‘O most imperfect light of human reason’

28
Q

What does Ferdinand say to the Duchess about her reputation?

A

Is it true that you are but a bare name

And no esssential thing?’

29
Q

What does Duchess say when faslelfy accusing Antonio?

A

It is a ‘noble lie’ after ‘Tasso’s’ example

30
Q

What does Antonio say about the superstition of the nose-bleed?

A

Antonio: My nose bleeds.
One that were superstitious would count
This ominious, when it merely comes by chance. Two letters….are drowned in blood! Mere accident’

31
Q

What does Duchess say when she refuses to pray?

A

‘I’ll go pray…no I’ll go curse…I could curse the stars’; [of her brothers] ‘let them, like tyrants, never be remembered but for the ill tey have done’

32
Q

WHat does the Duchess accuse Cariola of being

A

‘a superstitious fool’

33
Q

What does Ferdinand say Duchess is plagued in?

A

Ironically, she is only ‘plagued in art’, not reality -

34
Q

What does Bosola say ironically of Antonio’s death?

A

‘such a mistake as I have seen in a play’ [metadramatic]