Webster\'s Duchess of Malfi: Patriarchal Power PDF

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Essay on Webster's Duchess of Malfi and the male characters within them and how they perpetuate patriarchal control over the duchess....

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Humanities (Falmer), Kate Aughterson, LL516, Early Modern Literature How Are Notions and Practices of Patriarchy Challenged in John Webster’s Duchess of Malfi?

There were multiple ways in which the concept power manifested itself in 17th century Europe, exerting both social and psychological control. Traditional ideologies which have branched from religion began being broken down by the emergence of new liberal philosophies, such as Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan1. The doctrine outlines a need for a transition towards establishing a “social contract” between the state and the individual as opposed to following the “divine right of kings”2. It was Charles I’s3 tyrannical reign which called into question the notion of divinity as a fixed means to wield control over his subjects, eventually leading to a civil war. Webster’s Duchess of Malfi makes clear how questionable the notion of absolute rule began to seem. Having been written in 1612 (performed in 1614) during James I reign, the play is a social commentary on the nature of the traditional idea of family, marriage and gender as no longer appropriate for a society which sought to evolve.

Tragedy as a genre has amassed great popularity amongst audiences since the days of Lucius Seneca4. Although his authorship is disputed5, his plays remain rooted in ideological Stoicism6, a relevant overarching theme for Webster’s works on tragedy. Webster’s play had been written to be performed to an audience which was familiar with Shakespeare, a society in which craved sensationalism due to the rising political tension left in James I’s wake7. The play thus was able to gain popularity through its portrayal of orthodox notions of social structures and their tendencies to cause chaos as opposed to the latter. The presentation of family is something to be considered here, as the Duchess’ male siblings, the Cardinal and Ferdinand act as key players in demonstrating how authoritarian and compromising patriarchal rule can and has become. Act 1’s introduces the Cardinal in the midst of a conversation with Bosola. His presence as a dignitary of the Catholic Church is blatant in his behaviour as the following exchange takes place:

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Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan. Penguin Classics (2017). ‘The Divine Right of Kings’ is a theory that justifies the political legitimacy of monarchs. Derived from: Katherine Brice; Michael Lynch, Access to History: The Early Stuarts and the English Revolution 1603-60. Hodder Education. UK Edition. (2015). 3 James G. Randall, The Frequency and Duration of Parliaments. pp. 654–682. 4 The British Library, Seneca His Ten Tragedies, 1581. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/seneca-histen-tragedies-1581 Accessed 5 May 2020. 5 Thomas D. Kohn. Who Wrote Seneca's Plays?. (2003). The Classical World, vol. 96, no. 3. pp. 271– 280. www.jstor.org/stable/4352761. Accessed 19 May 2020. 6 Baltzly, Dirk, Stoicism, The Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy. Spring 2019 Edition, Edward N. Zalta (ed.). Accessed 19 May 2020 7 Tristan Marshall, Theatre and Empire: Great Britain on the London Stages under James VI and I. (1st ed.). (2000). www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvgd20f. Accessed 20 May 2020. 2

Humanities (Falmer), Kate Aughterson, LL516, Early Modern Literature

Bosola: I do haunt you still. Cardinal: So Bosola: I have done you better service Than to be slighted thus. Miserable age, where only the reward Of doing well, is the doing of it! Cardinal: You enforce your merit too much. -

(1.1.8-10)8

The Cardinal is based on Luigi d’Aragona9. The head of the Catholic church is the Pope; therefore, the Cardinal(s) are second to the highest religious official in the land. Luigi is said to have orchestrated the murder of his sister (Giovanna d’Aragona) which is depicted in Webster’s play. As an introduction, the Cardinal’s short, quaint response to Bosola, the Duchess’ steward, is symbolic of the attitude held by those of higher social ranks. The encounter also lays the foundation for the justification of the Cardinal’s behaviour and reactions throughout the play. Critics have applied the social theory of the ‘great chain of being’10 for the sake of analysing the hierarchical structures of the renaissance period. The theory suggests there is a ‘divine order’ to how society is organised. In which, monarchs, merchants and church officials have the right to exercise supremacy as they have been anointed by God to do so. They were therefore seen to belong in that fixed position within nature. As a result, the Cardinal seems to lack the ability to respond to any of the characters emotively, as he may believe his status to be a guise in which his humanity (emotional side) has no place; being in a position of authority within the church entails a sense of personal detachment. His relationship with the Duchess appears to be that of a paternal figure teaching a less informed individual of how her identity as a Duchess should govern her actions: ‘No, nor anything without the addition, honour / Sway your high Blood.’ (1.1.23)11. In saying such, he appears to be a onedimensional character due to the fact that he himself relies on his identity as a religious dignitary, as opposed to a brother to the Duchess. Further evidence of the Cardinal’s pragmatic and calculated nature also lies in his interactions with his brother, Ferdinand. In Act II scene V, where the brothers

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John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi. (2014). Brian Gibbons (revised ed.). pp.10 The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Real Duchess of Amalfi, https://www.rsc.org.uk/the-duchessof-malfi/about-the-play/the-real-duchess-of-amalfi. Accessed 20 May 2020 10 Todd, M. Conscience and the Great Chain of Being. (Ideas in Context, pp. 176-205). (1988). Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511521478.007. Accessed 21 May 2020. 11 John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi. (2014). Brian Gibbons (revised ed.). pp.23 9

Humanities (Falmer), Kate Aughterson, LL516, Early Modern Literature discover the Duchess’ pregnancy, Ferdinand expresses an exaggerated amount of disdain for his sister’s actions, stating that ‘Tis not your whore’s milk that shall quench my wild-fire, /But your whore’s blood!’ (2.5.58)12. Critics have suggested Ferdinand’s behaviour is fuelled by ‘lovesickness’, which becomes evident from the polarity of the two brothers’ reactions. The Cardinal continually tries to diffuse Ferdinand’s passion and ‘palsy’ over the situation in favour of a more rational outlook: ‘You fly beyond your reason [Ferdinand]’ (2.5.58).

The Cardinal thus exercises his power through use of status, in the traditional sense, for the sake of order. He is cold and calculated in his mannerisms. The only glimpse we gain into his ‘human’ side lies in the fact that he has a mistress, Julia. This exposes him as a man prone to primal urges who, despite his role as the beacon for piety and virtue, engages in sexual relations with a married woman. Subsequently, this demonstrates his fallibility. Webster makes the most religious figure in the play someone who is guilty of sin, suggesting that power does not align with divinity as human beings remain prone to corruption. Sir Lord Acton’s famous quote that ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’13 holds stark relevance here as a reflective 19th century analysis for the actions of overpowered monarchs and in this case, the church. Reference is made to this in Webster’s text during Act 1 in the form of a rhyming couplet: ‘Some curs'd example poison't near the head / Death and diseases through the whole land spread’ (1.1.9-10)14. Antonio foreshadows the chaos which ensues as a result of the Duchess’ choices; the spread of ‘death and disease’ suggests the deconstruction of order and thus, a wider commentary on a belief held by many 17th century courtesans that tradition is the only way to maintain structure in In the Cardinal’s case, influencing his sister to consider marriage as the union of two people of equal standing, is ignorant of the Duchess’ ability to govern her emotions and inconsiderate, a common display of patriarchal control. society. It displays how the Cardinal is suffering from ‘delusions of grandeur’ as a prominent figure of the church, supposing the Duchess’ actions will bring about said chaos. When this fails, he hypocritically orchestrates her murder in the pursuit of justice, in religious terms, an ‘honour killing’. Webster alludes to the church being a fallible institution which enforced arbitrary means of control of social customs, based purely on the objective end of maintaining a hierarchy beneficial to those in control of the state.

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John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi. (2014). Brian Gibbons (revised ed.). pp.58 Bowman, James S.; Jonathan P. West. Lord Acton and Employment Doctrines: Absolute Power and the Spread of At-Will Employment. (2007). Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 74, no. 2. pp. 119–130. www.jstor.org/stable/25075451. Accessed 2 June 2020. 14 John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi. (2014). Brian Gibbons (revised ed.). pp.9-10

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Humanities (Falmer), Kate Aughterson, LL516, Early Modern Literature In the case of Ferdinand, we approach a much more complex analysis of sibling behaviour. Jacobean audiences may have deemed the relationship between the Duchess and Ferdinand as akin to that of the astrological sign ‘Gemini’ (representative of Castor and Pollux in Ancient Greek Mythology15). Elizabethan astrologer, John Dee16, outlined the importance of planetary influences on fate. Without resorting to the immediate modern interpretation that their relationship is inevitably incestuous, therefore morally condemned, the overarching message should be more concerned with the gender dialectics present here. Medical studies detail of how a physician or midwife could find it difficult to distinguish between limbs in the womb, suggesting that twins attempt to observe and imitate each other’s movements. From the beginning of the play, Ferdinand surveys his sister in what a fairly predatory manner in order ‘To note all the particulars of her haviour /What suitors do solicit her for marriage /And whom she affects best’ (1.2.21-22)17. He then proceeds to display possessive behaviour when asked why he would not favour his sister remarrying (‘Do not you ask the reason; but be satisfied’. (1.2.22). The Duchess’ presence exudes power and self-control, as in her demeanour ‘There speaketh so divine a continence’ (1.2.18)18. She is not only the older twin, but also is portrayed as the dominant sibling of the two. Ferdinand detects this often throughout the play and constantly attempts supress her sense of empowerment, as he deems her sex not worthy of obtaining such confidence. Firstly, he continues to reiterate her status as a Duchess, therefore bound to dutiful practice and secondly as a widow, all in an attempt to passively shame her. He also uses phallic imagery to taunt her (‘What cannot a neat knave with a smooth tale /Make a woman believe’ – 1.3.26.)19, eventually calling her ‘Lusty Widow’20. His actions prove inappropriate to modern audiences as he flaunts his manhood in such a disturbed way, refusing to acknowledge the Duchess’ boundaries when discussing sexual matters.

The seventeenth century was undeniably under patriarchal influence. Therefore, female sexuality remained under constant scrutiny, prone to being ‘invaded’ by the male sex in a non-consensual act. Ferdinand acts in such a way to provoke a reaction from his sister and subtly convince her to abandon her autonomy so that he may be equal once again, as they were in the womb. He senses

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W.K. Quinn-Schoffield, Castor and Pollux in the Roman Circus. (1967). Latomus, vol. 26, no. 2. pp. 450–453. www.jstor.org/stable/41525229. Accessed 1 June 2020. 16 Walter I. Trattner, God and Expansion in Elizabethan England: John Dee, 1527-1583. (1964). Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 25, no. 1. pp. 17–34. www.jstor.org/stable/2708083. Accessed 1 June 2020. 17

John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi. (2014). Brian Gibbons (revised ed.). pp.22 John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi. (2014). Brian Gibbons (revised ed.). pp.18 19 John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi. (2014). Brian Gibbons (revised ed.). pp.26 20 Jennifer Panek, My naked weapon: Male Anxiety and the Violent Courtship of the Jacobean Stage Widow. (2000). Comparative Drama, vol. 34 no. 3. pp. 321-344. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/cdr.2000.0007. Accessed 3 June 2020. 18

Humanities (Falmer), Kate Aughterson, LL516, Early Modern Literature the Duchess’ desire to break convention so he continues to scrutinize her to prevent being separated from his sister. Panek suggests in My Naked Weapon21, how widows evoke a certain anxiety in insecure men, due to their marital experience as well as their security in property as well as finances. A widow’s experience in sexual endeavours also poses a threat to male dominance, as the ‘lusty widow’ archetype suggests women become sexually insatiable, which is an offence to the traditional idea of ‘female virtue’. Perpetuating misogyny, Ferdinand chooses to exert sexually aggressive behaviour toward the Duchess as a he believes this to be her nature as a widow. He proceeds to subdue her sense of ‘power’ in an incredibly distorted way, continually referencing phallic imagery and even referencing the destruction of her body (‘Damn her! /that body of hers. While that my blood run pure in’t […]22). The reason behind these perverse advances by Ferdinand stem from patriarchy, classically defined as the notion of ‘rule by the father. Deeply rooted in the suppression of the female sex, the status of the male is one which is dominant over a conventional woman. The Duchess’ identity becomes unconventional, as a widow, this male anxiety had settled in by this stage already. Connotations of ‘unruliness’ stem from widowhood in seventeenth century England. This lack of ability to control a woman who has experienced the trials of marriage creates an uncontainable fear in the male brain, which then becomes fuelled by a need to compete with said widow for status and power. Juan Luis Vives states that ‘woman should take Christ as her “husband immortall”23 should she become widowed. The Duchess thus threatened this dynamic long before she remarried. As an older woman, religion condemned her fate to eternal chastity and loyalty to her faith and no other man, so as not to present herself as an available, single woman in power as this would threaten her male counterparts. The Duchess’ very existence is what challenges the status quo, which inadvertently, promises a challenge to patriarchal rule. Politically, female monarchs (or women in power within the court) were a challenge to orthodoxy. Webster outlines that the struggle for women lies in the idea that the female not only has to wield control over her mind, mannerisms and choices, but also acknowledge her body as a source of power in the eyes of men. Critics have suggested this creates a hybrid form of the ‘body politic’ with the ‘body natural’24. Demonstrative of misogyny in seventeenth-century society, the Duchess is forced fend for herself both as a powerful entity within the court, and secondly, as a woman with the ability to exercise autonomy. Webster is thus portraying that the breakaway from tradition is merely a breakaway from the preferred 21

Panek, Jennifer. My naked weapon: Male Anxiety and the Violent Courtship of the Jacobean Stage Widow. (2000). Comparative Drama, vol. 34 no. 3. pp. 321-344. 22 23

John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi. (2014). Brian Gibbons (revised ed.). pp.98

Margaret Lael Mikesell, Catholic and Protestant Widows in ‘The Duchess of Malfi.’ (1983). Renaissance and Reformation, vol. 7, no. 4. pp. 265–279. www.jstor.org/stable/43444435. Accessed 5 June 2020. 24 Theodora A. Jankowski. Defining/Confining the Duchess: Negotiating the Female Body in John Webster's ‘The Duchess of Malfi.’ (1990). Studies in Philology, vol. 87, no. 2. pp. 221–245. www.jstor.org/stable/4174360. Accessed 7 June 2020.

Humanities (Falmer), Kate Aughterson, LL516, Early Modern Literature customs of the patriarchy – a society which caters to the interests of men and condemned women’s choices.

Word Count: 2,464.

Humanities (Falmer), Kate Aughterson, LL516, Early Modern Literature Bibliography

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Sullivan, Erin. Lesel Dawson: Lovesickness and Gender in Early Modern English Literature. (2008). Oxford University Press.

Lael Mikesell, Margaret. Catholic and Protestant Widows in ‘The Duchess of Malfi.’ (1983). Renaissance and Reformation, vol. 7, no. 4. pp. 265–279. www.jstor.org/stable/43444435.

Jankowski, Theodora A. Defining/Confining the Duchess: Negotiating the Female Body in John Webster's ‘The Duchess of Malfi.’ (1990). Studies in Philology, vol. 87, no. 2. pp. 221–245. www.jstor.org/stable/4174360.

W.K. Quinn-Schoffield, Castor and Pollux in the Roman Circus. (1967). Latomus, vol. 26, no. 2. pp. 450–453. www.jstor.org/stable/41525229.

Walter I. Trattner, God and Expansion in Elizabethan England: John Dee, 1527-1583. (1964). Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 25, no. 1. pp. 17–34. www.jstor.org/stable/2708083.

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