Book Review: The Duchess of Malfi

“Ambition, madam, is a man’s great madness”

            I have read a few tragedies in my time and a lot of them deal with women and the damned patriarchy. It is through no fault of their own that these women want either independence or revenge, it is more often than not, a reaction to the conspiracies of men. The Duchess of Malfi, is no exception, like Romeo and Juliet all she wants is to be happy with a husband that she has chosen. But here is the problem, her brothers the Cardinal and Ferdinand do not wish for her to marry after she was recently widowed. So, imagine their fury when it is discovered that, not only has she remarried, but she has married someone who is of a lower station. Now in modern times people would say how very democratic for a Duchess to marry a commoner, they’d probably even applaud her. But alas, this play by Webster is not set in the 21st century. This is a Jacobean drama. And in the 17th century, a woman of stature marrying below her station was a big no no. Case in point, this play was inspired by the life of Giovanna d’Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi who also met a tragic end. The only difference is that The Duchess’ oldest child inherits the Duchy of Malfi, but Giovanna and her children were never seen again.

            Pivotal to the plot is when The Duchess falls in love with Antonio. And if she wants to marry him, she’ll marry him if she wants to. But in secret. And Antonio must still be her servant. Sort of. Naturally all secrets don’t stay secret for long, the Duchess has three children by Antonio, children that cannot be discovered. However, her brother Ferdinand grows suspicious and plants a mole, Bosola, in Malfi to spy on the Duchess and thus the secret is discovered. Ferdinand is furious and jealous. His jealousy is not truly explained until much later in the play when the audience discovers that he wished to inherit all the land, money and titles from the Malfi Duchy once his sister had died. Hence why he never wanted her to re-marry. But now there are children in the mix, and those children stand to inherit the Duchy of Malfi. He confronts the Duchess, who admits that, yes, she is married, and what of it? She should be allowed to marry who she likes after all she is not, as she puts it ‘be cased up like some holy relic?’ he leaves her with a poniard. So that, he believes, in shame she will kill herself. But she won’t, she has too much gall for that.

            In a whirlwind the Duchess begs for Antonio to take their oldest son and leave for Ancona and seek refuge there, she will follow in a few days with their other children looking as though she is on pilgrimage to a holy shrine not far away. These plans are laid out to the mole Bosola and thus the Duchess is caught in the attempt of running away. She is locked away in a prison with her children and maid. Ferdinand comes to see her, but only in the dark for he is too furious with her to see her in the light. It is at his jest and the Duchess’ horror that he makes her kiss a dead man’s hand, whilst insinuating that it is the hand of her husband. A cruel trick to unnerve the Duchess, that unfortunately doesn’t work because the Duchess doesn’t fear death. Death is to be greeted as a friend, why? Because as the Duchess put it, there is such good company on the other side. And if her husband is on the other side, then surely, she would be reunited with him? Thus, she has nothing to fear even when she knows she is to be murdered.

            Bosola kills the Duchess out of some sycophantic belief of duty to a prince, a prince whose very command he takes as law. However, Ferdinand claims he did not wish for his sister to be murdered, but you did. No, I didn’t, yes, you did, no I didn’t. Spoiler alert, he did. Bosola’s fury that he committed a mortal sin all in the name of princely power is more an accusation of the cowardice of Ferdinand than the moral compass of Bosola. After all, he was led to believe that the murder of The Duchess and her children were what Ferdinand wanted. But apparently not? As Machiavelli once said, “those who wish to be obeyed, must first learn how to command” and Ferdinand does not know how to be in command either of himself or the power that he wields. It is lack of command that is his undoing, for the murder of his sister turns him mad. His brother, the Cardinal, turns out to be the true mastermind of the Duchess’ murder, is glad that Ferdinand has turned mad- for who would believe the ravings of a madman? Antonio has returned to Malfi in order to reconcile with the Cardinal but is accidentally killed by Bosola who meant to kill the Cardinal. Once the Cardinal is dead, Ferdinand and Bosola have it out with each other both driven mad by guilt, ghosts and the deceptions that surround them. They end up killing each other, both the cause of their undoing and the Duchess’ eldest son takes the Duchy of Malfi. 

            The Duchess who should’ve been allowed to love is killed out of ambition, greed and envy. Her brothers already have a little power, but they want the lot. It is less about reputation and the politics of marriage; it is more about the scruples of men who cannot see further than that which their egos would allow. Everyone dies in the end, that’s how tragedy works. So, read it and weep.