Duchess of Malfi key quotations

"that a prince's court is lke a common fountain, whence should flow pure silver drops in general; but if't chance some cursed example poison 't near the head, Death, and diseases through the whole land spread"- Antonio describing the French court system- how easily corruption can spread from the top. Significant because it gives the audience a blueprint of what government can and should be, and one which is sharply contrasted against the corrupt Italian courts. Additionally, it introduces the all-important prince-to-courtier dynamic and imputes the health or disease of the social system to the integrity of the prince, the fountainhead of the system. Poison the fountains source. This political metaphor of the polluted fountain suggests that a ruler’s behaviour, good or bad, inevitably influenced the health of the country. Imagery of disease and death reflects Jacobean concerns about the plague, reflects the potential for corruption spreading down the court due to corruption of the figures of authority. The Great Chain of Being- according to the Medieval Catholic Church, everything in the universe had a divinely planned, unchangeable ‘place’, often pictured as a chain stretching from the lowliest being to God himself. This links to Antonio’s description of the French court system as if someone high up on the chain, for example someone of royal status, becomes corrupt, the said corruption will fall down the chain and corrupt everyone else in its path.

"Miserable age, where only the reward of doing well is the doing of it."- Bosola’s comments highlight how corruption and cruelty, rather than honesty, are the dominant currencies within society. Could reveal that Bosola has tried to live honestly, but it is the climate of the society which forced him into wrongdoing as he previous received no ‘reward’. 

"He and his brother are like plum-trees that grow crooked over standing pools; they are rich, and o'erladen  with fruit, but none but crows, pies and caterpillars feed on them"- Power! Meaning only those who can fly up or sneak up to the top can manage to get the brothers riches. Describing natural objects acting in a very unnatural way. Instead of nourishing the ground and water underneath them with their bounty, the brother heard their wealth and thereby bring a total halt to the natural process of generation. Bosola’s reflection on the Cardinal and Ferdinand as corrupt authority figures corrupting the rest of the court.  Ideas of vitality become ideas of corruption, standing water is corruptible, allows diseases to fester. Crows, magpies and caterpillars seem insignificant but are actually an essential part of life. The brothers see the people that follow them, hoping to earn their favour as important as it allows them to have their dirty work done for them, leaving no proof that they were responsible. 

“Could I be one of their flattering panders, I would hang on their ears like a horse-leech till I were full, and then drop off."- Malcontent, cynical approach. Admits he is driven by social ambition. Insinuates that he is corrupted in the same way that the rest of the “flattering sycophants” are. Ability for men to be corrupted and made toxic by the masculinity of other men. Those that feed of the brothers would become full of their riches and maybe even their corruption. This means that the corruption from the brothers can be spread throughout the court quickly as many people look up to them and want what they have. Leeches were often used to balance the humours, therefore removing the “poison” from the body.
"for place in the court are but like beds in the hospital, where this man's head lies at that man's foot, and so lower, and lower "- Describes the strict court hierarchy. Hospitals were often overcrowded due to the large extent of ill people who could not be effectively treated due to not knowing any true treatments. Often, patients were simply made comfortable and left to die. This applies to court as many people can be a part of the court but very few are truly cared for. Unhappy with the position he holds in court and the lack of power he had as a result. Death and disease imagery is continued. 

"For all the good deed you have done me, I must do all the ill man can invent. Thus the devil candies all sin o'er: and what heaven turns vile, that names he complemental."- Bosola to Ferdinand. In this society doing bad things makes you good and gives you power. Sins are hidden by things people want (“candies”) i.e. money, power, favour of those in power. “Good deed you have done me” = gold? “All the ill man can invent” = the sinful work that the brothers get him to do. 

"Now you shall never utter it; thy curiosity hath undone thee: thou 'rt poisoned with that book; Because I knew thou couldst keep my counsel, I have bound thee to 't by death"- see corruption mindmap on go conqr-- https://www.goconqr.com/en/mindmap/31826523/theme-of-corruption

"He and his brother are like plum-trees that grow crooked over standing pools; they are rich, and o'erladen  with fruit, but none but crows, pies and caterpillars feed on them"- See card 2 for analysis.

"Remember, my curse hath a great way to go. Plagues, that make lanes through largest families, consume them!"..."Let them, like tyrants, Never be remembered, but for the ill they have done: Let all the zealous prayers of mortified churchmen forget them!"- What she does now will still impact the family. Her brothers will still suffer the consequences of her actions. The choices the brothers make will now be criticised. Shes aware that whatever she does to herself or does in general will be remembered. Her brothers will be viewed negatively by the state- still defying them. In this way, she has power over her brothers still. 

""

“Could I be one of their flattering panders, I would hang on their ears like a horse-leech till I were full, and then drop off”.  Malcontent, cynical approach.  Admits he is driven by social ambition.  Insinuates that he is corrupted in the same way that the rest of the “flattering sycophants” are. Ability for men to be corrupted and made toxic by the masculinity of other men. Those that feed of the brothers would become full of their riches and maybe even their corruption. This means that the corruption from the brothers can be spread throughout the court quickly as many people look up to them and want what they have.  Leeches were often used to balance the humours, therefore removing the “poison” from the body. 

"Since the place and riches oft are bribes of shame; Sometimes the devil doth preach”- People who are rich and have places of power tend to bribe those without to do things that are deemed shameful and wrong, i.e. sinful.

“You know already what man is”- In this time period, women were subjected to the rule of their fathers and then their husbands. With the Duchess’ husband and father dead, her brothers have become the male authority figure in her life. Could be simply stating that she has already been with a man. That she is no longer a virgin. No longer pure.
“Marry? They are most luxurious Will wed twice.”- Warding his sister off of marriage. The Duchess already has an heir, has her husband’s inheritance, has social status. Doesn’t need protection as she has her two brothers.

“Diamonds are of most value, they say, that have passed through most jewellers’ hands.”- Marriage. In the face of her brothers’ insistence that she not remarry, the Duchess shoots back that women are like diamonds that accrue value by being married. Contextually, this has some relevance, as women often married to gain money and power. Could be trying to justify her reason for wanting to be remarried. Sees herself as valuable as she compares herself to diamonds. Could be stating that she believes she can remarry and that she wasn’t ‘used’ in her previous marriage. She benefited from it.

"What cannot a neat knave with a smooth tale Make a woman believe?”- Women are very easily swayed by men. Maybe a reference to sexual desire?

“This is flesh and blood, sir, ‘Tis not the figure cut in alabaster Kneels at my husband’s tomb.”- Trying to persuade Antonio that she’s a real woman, not just his distant ice-queen aristocratic boss. She is fighting against the belief that women can only marry once, and that a truly chaste woman is bound to honour her dead husband until her own death. “Sir”- giving power to Antonio despite his lower social rank. Kneel- imagery of subjugation to former husband- his death allowed her freedom.
“Sooth, generally for women. A man might strive to make glass malleable, Ere he should make them fixed.”- Fragile, weak- ‘glass’.  He thinks that women are corrupt and disloyal- says all women are the same.

“Whether I am doomed to live, or die, I can do both like a prince.”- The Duchess instinctively responds to Ferdinand’s presence with the dignity she feels a prince should publicly display. The Duchess is at her strongest in times of adversity

“Why might not I marry? I have not gone about in this to create any new word or custom.”- The Duchess doesn’t recognises the implications of her actions as a ruler and naively believes her marriage will not affect the outer world; arguably, through her marriage with Antonio she has neglected her princely duties and caused political instability.

“Were I a man, I’d beat that counterfeit face into thy other.”-  Deceit. When the Duchess finds out Bosola is going to bring her to Ferdinand she says that she will smash Bosola’s fake spy side and his real side together. Highlights Bosola’s multi faced character and emphasises the play may have not been a tragedy. Bosola frequently draws a distinction between his real self and his intelligencer self. The duchess recognises that there is two faces to Bosola. The Duchess also recognises her limitations as a woman in this society.

“No, nor anything without the addition, honour, Sway your high blood.”- The cardinal’s reference to the Duchess’s ‘high blood’ is particularly fixated on class insecurity: he is afraid that she will fall into the arms of a lower-class man. They suggest that her royal lineage and rank would be tainted if she married someone of lower status.

“Shall our blood, The royal blood of Aragon and Castile, Be thus attainted?”- Having learned from Bosola that the Duchess has just had a baby, Ferdinand becomes enraged. Reveals the Cardinal’s motivations in preventing the Duchess remarrying; he is concerned with social status and the reputation of the family, whilst Ferdinand is concerned with her sexuality.

"You have shook hands with Reputation, And made him invisible. So fare you well. I will never see you more”.-“Reputation”- Capitalised- shows importance. Important to Ferdinand and Cardinal. Ferdinand is adamant that by marrying Antonio and defying the social order, she has destroyed herself. Implying that she used to have an honourable reputation until she remarried and had children. By doing this, she has lost her reputation as an honourable woman (according to Ferdinand). “I will never see you more”- Shows that he values the family relationship more than the family itself. He leaves their fathers “poniard” to kill herself with- he expects that she will listen to him now.

Bosola gives the Duchess apricots which were said to induce labor. When she eats them, she tells Bosola "they taste of musk, methinks"- Musk comes from a gland from a deer. Marks territory. Symbolic of sexual desire. Musk found in genital region. Marks territory and spray mates. Male dominance. 

“her tetchiness and most vulturous eating of the apricots and apparent signs of breeding”- Bosola about the Duchess; shows he has found she is pregnant. Language suggests she is greedy, lacking control.