What are the dramatic devices used in the duchess of malfi?

Terms in this set (12)

• Use of asides. Bosula's use of aside. ...
• Dramatic irony. Ferdinand and the bloody handkerchief - ironic because.
• The dead hand and wax figures. ...
• The madmen. ...
• The dumbshow. ...
• The scenes set in the Duchess's chamber. ...
• Scenes set in the dark. ...
• The fact that most of the scenes are set inside.

1. What melodramatic element do you find in The Duchess of Malfi?
2. What is the Duchess Hamartia?
3. What kind of play is The Duchess of Malfi?
4. How is the duchess presented in The Duchess of Malfi?
5. Do you agree that the Duchess of Malfi is a play of melodramatic horror?
6. How is the theme of class portrayed in Duchess of Malfi?
7. What is the over riding theme of The Duchess of Malfi '?
8. How would you describe the relationship between Antonio and the Duchess?
9. Who is the tragic hero in Duchess of Malfi?
10. How is the Duchess of Malfi a revenge tragedy?
11. Is the Duchess a tragic hero?
12. How does the portrayal of the duchess in The Duchess of Malfi reflect social criticism discuss?
13. What is the source of Duchess of Malfi?
14. Who killed the Duchess?

What melodramatic element do you find in The Duchess of Malfi?

On the whole, The Duchess of Malfi is one of the best revenge plays by Webster. The play has a central theme of revenge, horror and sensationalism. It has the melodramatic style and all these have made the play a supreme example of the revenge play like Gorboduc and Hamlet.

What is the Duchess Hamartia?

Aristotle terms this 'hamartia'. The Duchess' hamartia is that she succumbs to a young woman's desire for romantic love and so places personal happiness above duty. ... Aristotle writes that our 'pity is aroused by unmerited misfortune, fear by the misfortune of a man like ourselves.

What kind of play is The Duchess of Malfi?

The Duchess of Malfi (originally published as The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy) is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, then later to a larger audience at The Globe, in 1613–1614.

How is the duchess presented in The Duchess of Malfi?

The Duchess, a young widow and the ruler of the Italian town of Amalfi, is the intelligent, kind, virtuous sister of the Cardinal and the twin of Duke Ferdinand. ... Through all of these trials, the Duchess remains virtuous and good, and she faces both torture and death with bravery and dignity.

Do you agree that the Duchess of Malfi is a play of melodramatic horror?

There is much in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi that is merely melodramatic and sensational, lurid and gruesome. ... No doubt, Webster has made free use of crude physical horrors in Duchess of Mulfi, but these horrors are made an integral part of the tragedy.

How is the theme of class portrayed in Duchess of Malfi?

Class is shown, on the one hand, to be binding and restricting (as it is one of the reasons the marriage is so scandalous and ends so tragically), but Webster's play also suggests that class is fluid, that figures can rise and fall in status, and that true worth and merit should be given a greater value than birth, ...

What is the over riding theme of The Duchess of Malfi '?

Sin—and the religious consequences of sin—run rampant in The Duchess of Malfi. The tragic forces of the play's major plotline are primarily driven by sin: it is because they are greedy for her fortune and prideful of their noble blood that the Cardinal and the Duke do not wish the Duchess to remarry.

How would you describe the relationship between Antonio and the Duchess?

This marriage between Antonio and the Duchess is figured as a true partnership; the Duchess married Antonio purely out of love, in spite of custom and opposition, as he had no special status or nobility.

Who is the tragic hero in Duchess of Malfi?

55-59). It is because of these reasons that Bosola is a tragic hero rather than a mere antagonist like Ferdinand or the Cardinal because it illustrates that Bosola is too human and he suffers because of it.

How is the Duchess of Malfi a revenge tragedy?

“The Duchess of Malfi” by John Webster is a kind of Revenge Tragedy modeled on Seneca, the Latin playwright of 1st century A.D. ... This play contains the depth of extreme violence, plotting and mostly revenge on the best part which are the chief elements of revenge tragedy.

Is the Duchess a tragic hero?

Yes, the duchess can be called a tragic hero, because she is highborn, has a fatal flaw, and dies tragically. Her fatal flaw is that she is too trusting and good.

How does the portrayal of the duchess in The Duchess of Malfi reflect social criticism discuss?

The Duchess is portrayed in The Duchess of Malfi as a strong-willed, noble character who charts her own life and makes her own decisions despite what society thinks. Her attempt to live her own life while also acting as a ruler is a reaction to social criticisms regarding whether or not women were fit to rule.

What is the source of Duchess of Malfi?

His principal source for the story was William Painter's collected volume of tales The Palace of Pleasure (1567). Painter's volume contained translations of many stories by French, Italian and Greek writers, including François de Belleforest's adaptation of Matteo Bandello's Novelle (1554).

Who killed the Duchess?

Ferdinand orders Bosola to strangle the duchess, her two younger children, and her maid and then goes mad with guilt. In typical fashion for revenge tragedy, the final act is one of carnage. All are killed except for the eldest son of the duchess and Antonio, who is named ruler of Malfi.