LINGUISTICS: THE DUCHESS OF MALFI (DIVINE JUSTICE IN THE DUCHESS OF MALFI)

DIVINE JUSTICE IN THE DUCHESS OF MALFI In the play, the Duchess of Malfi, revenge tragedy is significantly exposed through the text. Ferdinand is obsessed with her sister, the Duchess, and when he finds out that she has been engaging in sexual relations with another man, rage fills him, and he plots for her death. Ferdinand orders for the sister to be strangled by Bosola, and alongside her death, her maid and is also killed. After the death, Ferdinand is filled with guilt which drives him crazy. However, at the end of the play, things change, and divine justice is seen because everyone else is killed except for Antonio's eldest son, and he becomes the King of Malfi. Divine justice was very popular during the Elizabethan era, as many authors created plots in their literal works where good deeds would be rewarded while bad ones would be punished. In the Duchess of Malfi, Ferdinand is by far the most corrupt and bad person in the play, but it seems that he always gets want he wants. He bypasses the law to make himself wealthier and even develops romantic feelings for his sister. Because he cannot have her at his disposal, he becomes furious that she is engaging in sexual relations with other men, and the jealousy drives him to order for her death. On the other hand, the Duchess is noble and passionate, but she still suffers the cruelty of her brother's rage. When the Duchess dies, there is a turn of events for Ferdinand, Cardinal, and Bosola. Because of the Duchess's death, the people involved in her suffering start to experience their suffering, which brings out divine justice for good people. Ferdinand, who flees to Milan, losses his mind and starts to think he is a wolf. In the same way, he made the Duchess feel that she had lost her mind, he gets the experience, and this time it is real. Bosola's greed and lack of moral standing make him plot the death of Ferdinand and the Cardinal, and at the end of it all, they end up killing each other. This is the divine justice moment for the Duchess because all her oppressors have received the same heat they brought upon her. Even in her death, the throne still belongs to her name because her son is the last heir, and later, he becomes the king of Amalfi. Therefore, Webster relegates the fatal endings of the Cardinal, Ferdinand, and Bosola to show to create an impactful ending that favors the Duchess. Show Less