The Duchess of Malfi

John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi is a good tragedy，it describes a widow who decides to remarry to her steward and pursues her love，but her two brothers threaten her to give up this unnoble behavior.Their response is extraordinary and extreme.It's a story that women want to gain independence and freedom in a male-dominated and repressive society.It's also a great classic drama.

Personally speaking，I appreciate the duchess of malfi very much，she is beautiful，brave，self-discipline and kind-hearted.Although she is a noble woman，she doesn't belittle people whom has a low social statue.In order to pursue true love，she struggles with her cruel brothers.When his brother finds out her secret love with her steward，Antonio and decides to strangle her，she behaves bravely and calm.Robbed of husband and children，threatened and tormented by her brothers，she simply says“I am Duchess of Malfi Still”（4.2.138）.These words are usually delivered either defiantly or with quiet patience.She is like a caged bird and her death is indispensable，because at that period，any struggles against the society and higher class turns out to be a failure.

Indeed，it's a great drama，but in some aspects，it also have several shortcomings.

1.The story is a little illogical.Ferdinand，her brother，is a very cruel and jealous man，in his eyes，his sister is his own property and he doesn't permit anyone to get close to her.But the secret love between the duchess and her steward remains a long time and she even gives birth to two babies，it's ridicule that his brother doesn't find out any hints.When a woman is pregnant，it's easy to find out，does it make sense that she can deceive her brother only pretend that she is ill？

2.The structure of this play is loose.According to Aristotle，in a good tragedy，after the climax part，it should be the ending part of this play.But in The Duchess of Malfi，after the death of the duchess，the playwright still arranges a series of plots which makes the play a little random（5.1-5.5）.Maybe it's because at that period，people like to watch a complicated play which includes many plots.

3.The abrupt changes.Ferdinand is a very arrogant and cruel person，he even calls the love between his sister and her steward as animal's love and calls her babies cub （2.5.78）.He's very strong and powerful，it's difficult to imagine that after he kills his sister，he suddenly realizes his fault and regrets a lot and at last becomes a mad man（4.2.400-403）.What's more，the bloody deaths of the last act produces a contrast with the previous acts.There are so many violent deaths at the conclusion part，even a tiny baby gets snuffed out.It seems that the playwright not only wants to arose people's pity and fear，but also to get a dramatic effect.Obviously，it's a big failure of this play.

If I can use one sentence to describe this play，that's desire brings disaster.All characters in this play have their own desire：the duchess wants a unconventional love with her steward，her two brothers want to get her wealth and keep their blood nobility，Bosola，the servant of Ferdinand，spies on the duchess in order to gain the acknowledge and dignity.Antonio，the duchess' steward，born in a lower class，wants to climb upward.At last，they all die of their desires.After reading this play，I feel that marriage of people from different social statues is doomed to failure.

Reference：

[1]Dympna Callaghan，ed.The Duchess of Malfi.New York：St.Martin's，2000.

[2]Merry E.Weisner.Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe.Cambridge：Cambridge University Press，1993.

[3]Drabble，Margaret，ed.The Duchess of Malfi.Oxford， England：Oxford University Press，2000.

[4]Clark，Sandra.Renaissance Drama.Cambridge，England： Polity.2007.

[5]Brown，John Russell.The Duchess of Malfi.Manchester， England：Manchester University Press.1997.

作者簡介：

杨业花（1990- ），女，汉，山西吕梁人，12级研究生在读，云南大学外国语学院，研究方向：英美文学。