Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

CARDINAL

in The Duchess of Malfi — Webster, John

Metadata

PlayThe Duchess of Malfi
AuthorWebster, John
Year (catalogued)1623
First performance1614
Decade1620s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
TheaterBlackfriars;Globe;Indoor Professional;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Card.
Words1773
Characters9419
Typicality0.49 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA14872
BritDrama no.1726
ClusterCluster 4 — Constant hearts & virtuous ladies

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Are the Galleys come about? You are deceived in him, His Nature is too honest for such business, He comes: I'll leave you: We are to partly from you: and your own dis cretion Must now be your director. No, nor any thing without the addition, Honour, Sway your high blood. Oh j: So most Widows say: But commonly that motion lasts no longer Then the turning of and hourglass, the funeral Sermon, And it, end both together. You may slatter your self, And take your own choice: privately be married Under the Eves of night. The marriage night Is the entrance into some prison. Fare you well. Wisdom begins at the end: remember it. Fit: thou art my best of wishes, prithee tell me What trick didst thou invent to come to Room, Without thy husband. Thou art a witty false one: I mean to him. Do not put thy self To such a voluntary torture: which proceeds Out of your own gilded. You fear my constancy, because you have ap proved Those giddy and wild turning in your self. Sooth generally for Women; A man might strive to make glass male-able, Ere he should make them fixed. We had needs go borrow that fantastic glass Invented by Galileo the Florentine, To view and other spacious world i'th' Moon, And look to find a constant woman there. Why do you weep? Are tears your justification? the selfsame tears Will fallen into your husbands bosom, (Lady) With a loud protestation, that you love him Above the world: Come, i'll love you wisely, That's jealously, since I am very certain You cannot me make cuckould. You may thank me, (Lady) I have taken you off your melancholy perch, Boar you upon my fist, and showed you 'game, And let you fly at it: I pray the kiss me, When thou was't with thy husband, thou was't watched Like a tame Ellephant: (still you are to thank me) Thou hadst only kisses from him, and high feeding, But what delight was that? 'twas joust Like one That hath a little lingering on the Lute, Yet cannot tune it: (still you are to thank me.) Who's that? Rest firm, for my affection to thee, Lightning moons low to't. Is't possible? Can this be certain? Why do you make your self So wild a Tempest? Shall our blood? (The royal blood of Arragon, and Castille ) Be thus attaincted? What to do? Cursed creature, Unequal nature, to place women's hearts So far upon the left-side. With whom? You lie beyond your reason. How idly shows this rage? Which carries you, as men convey by witches, through the air, On violent whirlwinds, this intemperate noise, Fitly resembles deaf-men's shrill discourse, Who talk aloud, thinking all other men To have their imperfection. Yes, I can be angry Without this rupture, there is not in nature A thing, that makes man so deformed, so beastly, As does intemperate anger: chide your self, You have diverse men, who never yet expressed Their strong desire of rest, but by unrest, By vexing of themselves: Come, put your self In tune. Are you stark mad? I'll leave you. Must we turn Soldier then? He that had the honour Of taking the French King Prisoner? Does she make religion her riding hood To keep her from the sun, and tempest? I will instantly solicit the state of Ancona To have them banished. Force him up. How now, put off your gown? I must feign somewhat: Thus they say it grew. You have herd it rumoured for these many years, None of our family die, but there is seen The shape of and old woman, which is given By tradition, to us, to have been murdered By her Nephews, for her riches: Such a figure One night (as the Prince sat up late at's book) Appeared to him, when crying out for help, The gentlemen of's chamber, found his grace All on a cold sweat, altered much in face And language: Since which apparition, He hath grown worse, and worse, and I much fear He cannot live. You are most welcome: Are you come? so: this fellow must not know By any means I had intelligence In our Duchess death: For (though I counseled it,) The full of all engagement seemed to grow From Ferdinand : Now sir, how fares our sister? I do not think but sorrow makes her look Like to and oh to- ed garment: She shall now Taste comfort from me: why do you look so wildly? O, the fortune of your master here, the Prince Dejects you, but be you of happy comfort: If you'll do on thing for me, I'll entreat Though he had a cold tombstone over his bones, I'll'd make you what you would be. I am busy, leave me. It's thus: Antonio lurks here in Milan, Inquire him out, and kill him: while he lives, Our sister cannot marry, and I have thought Of and excellent match for her: do this, and style me Thy advancement. There is a gentleman, called Delio Here in the Camp, that hath been long approved His loyal friend: Set eye upon that fellow, Follow him to Mass, may be Antonio, Although he do account religion But a School-name, for fashion of the world, May accompany him, or else go inquire out Delio's Confessor, and see I you can bribe Him to reveal it: there are a thousand ways A man might find to trace him: As to know, What fellows haunt the Jews, for taking up Great sums of money, for sure he's in want, Or else to go to th'Picture-makers, and learn Who brought her Picture lately, some of these Happily may take — Do, and be happy. Exit. Where are you? Let none upon your lives Have conference with the Prince Ferdinand, Unless I know it: In this distraction He may reveal the murder: Yond's my lingering consumption: I am weary of her; and by any means Would be qui off. Nothing. I may not tell you Satis j thy longing, The only way to make thee keep my council, Is not to tell thee. Will you rack me? The first argues folly. Very we l, why imagine I have committed Some secret deed, which I desire the world May never hear of? You'll repent it. It hurries thee to ruin: I'll not tell thee, Be well advised, and think what danger it's To receive a Princes secrets: they that do, Had need have their breasts hooped with adamant To contain them: I pray thee yet be satisfied, Examine thine own frailty, it's more easy To tie knots, then unloose them: it's a secret That (Like a lingering poison) may chance lie Spread in thy veins, and kill thee seven year hence No more, thou shalt know it. By my appointment, the great Duchess of Malfy, And two of her young children, four nights since Were strangled. How now? how settles this? think you your Bosom will be a graven, dark and obscure enough For such a secret? Why? No? come, I will swear you to't upon this book Kiss it. Now you shall never utter it, thy curiosity Hath undone thee: thou'rt poisoned with that book, Because I knew thou couldst not keep my council, I have bound the to't by death. Would, Bosola? Wherefore comest thou hither? I'll have thee hewed in pieces. Very well, now you know me for your fellow murderer No more, There is a fortune attends thee. I have honours in store for thee. Throw to the devil Thy melancholy, the fire burns well, What need we keep a stirring of and make A greater smoother? thou wilt kill Antonio? Take up that body. I will allow thee some dozen of attendants, To aid thee in the murder. Come to me after midnight, to help to remove that body To her own Lodging: I'll give out she died o'th' Plague; It'll breed the less enquiry after her death. He's rod to Naples to take possession Of Antonio's Citadel. Fail not to come: There is the Master-key Of our Lodgings: and by that you may conceive What trust I plant in you. Exit. You shall not watch to night by the sick Prince, His Grace is very well recovered. O, by no means: The noise, and change of object in his eye, Does more distract him: I pray, all to bed, And though you hear him in his violent fit Do not rise, I entreat you. Nay, I must have you promise Upon your honours, for I was enjoined to't By himself; and he seemed to urge it sensibly. Nor any of your followers. It may be to make trial of your promise When he's a sleep, my self will rise, and feign Some of his mad tricks, and cry out for help, And feign my self in danger. Why, I thank you. The reason why I would not suffer these About my brother, is, because at midnight I may with better privacy, convey Julia's body, to her own Lodging: Oh, my Conscience! I would pray now: but the Devil takes away my heart For having any confidence in Prayer. About this hour, I appointed Bosola To fetch the body: when he hath served my turn, He die. Exit. I am puzzled in a question about hell: He says, in hell, there's one material fire, And yet it shall not burn all men alike. Lay him by: How tedious is a guilty conscience? When I look into the Fishponds, in my Garden, Me thinks I see a thing, armed with a Rake That seems to strike at me: Now? art thou come? thou lookest ghastly: There sits in thy face, some great determination, Mixed with some fear. Hah? help: our Guard. Hold: and I will faithfully divide Revenues with thee. Raise the Watch: we are betrayed. Help: we are betrayed. My Dukedom, for rescue. Here's a plot upon me, I am assaulted: I am lost Unless some rescue. The sword's at my throat: What cause hast thou to pursue my life? Antonio? Oh mercy. Thou hast hurt me: Shall I die Like a Le oret Without any resistance? help, help, help: I am slain. Help me, I am your brother. O Justice: I suffer now, for what hath former been: "Sorrow is held the eldest child of sin. Thou hast thy payment too. Look to my brother: He gave us these large wounds, as we were struggling Here i'th' rushes: And now, I pray, let me Be laid by, and never thought of.

Plot summary

Plot — The Duchess of Malfi
There are two new arrivals at the Duchess of Malfi’s court. One is Antonio, her steward, who has returned from an extended visit to France. The other is Bosola, an ex-convict who committed a murder for the Cardinal, and who is now placed at court by the Duchess’s brother Ferdinand, with instructions to supply information. Ferdinand and the Cardinal leave the court, enjoining their sister not to marry again, but she defies them and secretly woos and marries Antonio. She clandestinely gives birth to a son, which Bosola discovers after Antonio accidentally drops the baby’s horoscope. The news is duly reported to the infuriated Ferdinand. The Duchess has two more children. Ferdinand visits Malfi, planning to marry her to Count Malateste. He visits her private chamber and catches her talking to Antonio, whose identity remains unknown because he has hidden as part of a practical joke. She banishes Antonio as a pretext to get him out of court, and follows him on a feigned pilgrimage to the state of Ancona. Bosola wins her confidence by speaking well of Antonio, unlike the other court flatterers; she entrusts him with the secret of their marriage, which he duly reports to his paymaster. The Cardinal is commissioned to fight in the war, and ceremonially puts off his ecclesiastical office. By papal decree, the Duchess and Antonio are banished ===== PAGE 347 ===== 1613 from Ancona and the Duchy of Malfi is seized by the Holy See; Antonio flees to Milan with his eldest son, and Bosola arrests the Duchess. Acting on Ferdinand’s orders, he imprisons and torments her, shows her the dead bodies of Antonio and her son (which turn out to be waxworks), and finally supervises her and her younger children’s murder. Ferdinand disowms him, then goes mad with lycanthropic delusions. The Cardinal schemes to have Antonio’s lands confiscated, poisons his mistress, and inadvertently reveals to Bosola his part in the Duchess’s death. Seeking revenge, Bosola mistakenly kills Antonio in the dark. In his madness, Ferdinand kills the Cardinal and Bosola, who kills him in turn. Delio decides to advance the rights of Antonio’s surviving son.