The earth of flaming sulphur, yet I am not mad. Webster's play explores the story of the Duchess of Mal, a widow who secretly marries her steward, Antonio. What ist distracts you? Only, I must confess, I had a hope, Had she continued widow, to have gained An infinite mass of treasure by her death,And that was the main cause: her marriage - That drew a stream of gall quite through my heart.For thee - as we observe in tragedies That a good actor many times is cursed For playing a villain's part - I hate thee for't, And, for my sake, say thou hast done much ill well. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor. Indeed, the German playwright Bertolt Brecht, when he adapted The Duchess of Malfi in 1946, appended a prologue in which Ferdinand confesses his incestuous passion for his sister. I stand like one. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. This is terrible good counsel. But here begin your pity: Other sins only speak; murder shrieks out. danger, Corruption quote about the land and more. Just create an account and sign in. Find prices and/or buy scripts and performance rights to theatre scripts (plays, pantomimes, musicals, sketches, etc.) Who shall dare. Later, when the brothers confront the Duchess, it is Ferdinand whose language is compulsively sexual, culminating in the dirty joke about the lamprey we considered earlier. The duchess of Malfi is a young widow whose two brothers, a cardinal and Ferdinand, the duke of Calabria, are desperately anxious lest she marry again, for they want to inherit her title and. Delio that if he asks for noble things, Pescara will be happy to oblige him. At the Duchess's palace, Delio welcomes his friend Antonio home from a trip to France, and asks him how he liked it there. Eileen Atkins as the Duchess in the classic 1972 BBC production. In reply, Bosola says only No, sir? (1.1.262), yet this unchallenging response is enough to spark the highly defensive Do not you ask the reason, but be satisfied / I say I would not (1.1.2634). Be not cunning,For they whose faces do belie their heartsAre witches ere they arrive at twenty years, Ay, and give the devil suck.Your darkest actions - nay, your privat'st thoughts Will come to light. There is no evidence that Webster had read or seen the play that Spanish dramatist Lope de Vega had written about the duchess. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. What an excellent honest man mightst thou have been, By Dr Farah Karim-Cooper. 1999-2023. Where shalt thou find this judgment registerd. Youd have her. The dead bodies you saw were but feignd statues. We are forced to woo because none dare woo us: Are forced to express our violent passions, In riddles and in dreams and leave the path. Both give vent to misogynist commonplaces, such as the following: Foolish men,That eer will trust their honour in a barkMade of so slight weak bullrush as is woman,Apt every minute to sink it! About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Enter MADMEN SERVANT: There's a mad lawyer; and a secular priest; A doctor, that hath forfeited his wits By jealousy; an astrologian That in his works said such a day o'th' month Should be the day of doom, and failing of't, Ran mad; an English tailor, craz'd i'th' brain With the study of new fashion; a gentleman usher, to learn more about this monologue from The Duchess of Malfi and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Her brothers Ferdinand and the Cardinal are visiting her, and Antonio, who manages the household, has recently returned from France. Study with us and youll be joining over 2 million students whove achieved their career and personal goals with The Open University. This foul melancholy Will poison all his goodness, for, I'll tell you, If too immoderate sleep be truly said To be an inward rust unto the soul, It then doth follow want of action Breeds all black malcontents, and their close rearing, Like moths in cloth, do hurt for want of wearing. Psychoanalysis Theory in 'The Duchess of Malfi'. The wolf shall find her grave, and scrape it up, Not to devour the corpse, but to discover, That not the fear of him which binds the devils. Cariola says that its the cohort of madmen that, A servant then enters and informs them that, prompted to seize much of Antonios lands, and he argues that if the Cardinal and. As ravens, screech-owls, bulls, and bears, We 'll bell, and bawl our parts, Till irksome noise have cloy'd your ears. The Several Madmen, Three Young Children, Executioners, Servants, Courtiers Act I Scene I1> [Enter] ANTONIO and DELIO DELIO. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. New York, NY, Linda Ray Webster is interested in exploring the connection between love and mad jealousy by locating the homicidal jealousy in a brother yearning for his sister, he compounds our awareness of the dark side of sexual desire, and the potential for specific types of love to explode into . . Let good men, for good deeds, covet good fame, Duke Ferdinand makes his first appearance, belittling his courtiers and enforcing them to do whatever pleases him. The Duchess has been imprisoned by her brother and is separated from her husband. CARDINAL . To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum. Corrections? DUCHESS . Several editions of the play were consulted for notes including those edited by John Russell Brown, Jonathan Dollimore, David Gunby, Dennis Huston, F. L. Lucas, and Trevor Millum. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! Yet she feels it is her right to woo a lower-status husband for love, and she does so with both passion and grace. 1. Weve pioneered distance learning for over 50 years, bringing university to you wherever you are so you can fit study around your life. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Women . But blood flies upwards and bedews the heavens. As ravens, screech-owls, bulls, and bears. Although she bears three children, she refuses to name the father. The Duchess of Malfi ACT 2. Bosola relays, The Duchess then leaves the room (though probably not the palace, as shes imprisoned), and, Cariola hear a horrible noise offstage. You are falling into ingratitude: I challenge. Act 1, Scene 1 Analysis Websters The Duchess of Malfi is often regarded as the last great tragedy of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, second only to William Shakespeares. When one thief hangs another. Of beasts and fatal fowl! He has gained access to the Cardinals private chamber (just as, that there is reason to anticipate a relapse. Seeking 2 Actor Team for Spring A monologue from the play by John Webster Ferdinand Let me see her face again. the Duchess is a static figure, 'does not develop or grow, or learn anything significant from her experiences' Christopher Hart [Bosola is] a twisted misanthrope and cut-throat. Glories, like glow-worms, afar off shine bright. So he imagines hewing the Duchess to pieces (2.5.31) and, in the following passage, rehearses with demented relish different ways of annihilating her and her family: I would have their bodiesBurnt in a coal pit with the ventage stopped,That their cursed smoke might not ascend to heaven;Or dip the sheets they lie in, in pitch or sulphur,Wrap them int and then light them like a match;Or else to boil their bastard to a cullisAnd givet his lecherous father to renewThe sin of his back. Allow Necessary Cookies & Continue O poor Antonio! But hold some two days conference with the dead! Continue with Recommended Cookies, Home | The Duchess Of Malfi Monologue (Duchess 2), A monologue from the play by John Webster. They marry secretly, despite the opposition of her two brothers, Ferdinand (the Duke of Calabria) and the Cardinal. DUCHESS: Let them come in. Latest update September 2018. The manner of your death should much afflict you: What would it pleasure me to have my throat cut. DELIO . Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. Teachers and parents! might have been Pope if he hadnt tried to bribe his way into the office. However, once shes alone, the Duchess reveals that she has no intention of listening to her brothers' advice. An infinite mass of treasure by her death: And that was the main cause,her marriage. Lit entirely by candlelight, the production . Bosola stabs the Cardinal twice, at which point, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. There . What will you do with my lady?Call for help! DANIEL DE BOSOLA . New York, NY, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall And should I die this instant, I had livd. In typical fashion for revenge tragedy, the final act is one of carnage. Ferdinand orders Bosola to strangle the duchess, her two younger children, and her maid and then goes mad with guilt. The Duchess was delivered of a son, tween the hours twelve and one in the night, Anno Dom. Originally published December 2000. 1909-14. For playing a villains part, I hate thee for t. Brown, professor of theater, Nashville, Tennessee. BOSOLA: Doth not death fright you? They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Then the servant reenters and says that Castruccio has come with a letter to, blood will be tainted, wondering who the father of the Duchesss child might be, and, this news has reached the Cardinal, and Antonio responds that he fears it has, as. marriage, Antonio says to Delio re. 34 terms. [JULIA] the Cardinal's mistress. Ambition, madam, is a great man's madness, The Cardinal and Ferdinand gang up on their sister, the Duchess, exhorting her never to marry. It was first performed by William Shakespeare's company, The King's Men The Duchess of Malfi is a tragic, macabre play written by John Webster in 1612-13. Duchess. O my sister!" The scene ends with the The young duchess is a widow. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. New York, NY, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall Complete your free account to request a guide. to learn more about this monologue from The Duchess of Malfi and unlock other amazing theatre resources! You may open them both ways: any way, for heaven-sake, So I were out of your whispering.