THE DUCHESS OF MALFI - QUOTES
Quote Brief analysis
‘Some curs’d example poison’t near the - Micro/Macrocosm metaphor: if head is corrupt, the people will be corrupt.
head, death and diseases through the - Rhyme: emphasises how the king and his people are connected.
whole land spread.’ - Death imagery: foreshadows the tragedy of the play.
‘Blackbirds fatten best in hard weather; - Bird imagery: Bosola’s ambition and determination.
why not I in these dog days?’
‘Like plum-trees that grow crooked’ - Imagery of parasitism: metaphor mirroring corruption of court.
‘They are rich and overladen with fruit,
but none but crows, pies and caterpillars
feed on them.’
‘This foul melancholy will poison all his - Recurring motif of disease, poison, death: reflects how Bosola is corrupted
goodness.’ by society, his role as malcontent.
‘He did bestow bribes so largely… - Betrays the Great Chain of Being: foreshadows consequence for corrupting
without heaven’s knowledge.’ religion for personal gain.
‘The law to him is like a foul black - Predatory imagery: Ferdinand uses the law to his advantage, just as
cobweb to a spider.’ Cardinal uses religion - fundamental aspects of society are corrupted.
- Spider imagery: poison and entrapment.
‘Three fair medals cast in one figure, of - Metaphor: establishes that they are siblings. Emphasises the difference
so different temper.’ between Ferdinand and Cardinal, as well as between Duchess.
‘She stains the time past, lights the time - Syntactic parallels: poetic, romantic line - shows his infatuation.
to come.’
‘My corruption grew out of horse-dung. I - Metaphor: reinforces recurring idea that corruption spreads like poison /
am your creature.’ disease.
‘Your darkest actions, nay, your privat’st - Juxtaposing images of dark and light: foreshadowing, sense of inevitability
thoughts, will come to light.’ that she will be exposed - secrets cannot be kept.
‘Ambition, madam, is a great man’s - Alliteration: linking ambition and men, sense of inevitability that ambition
madness.’ leads to their downfalls.
‘The misery of us who are born great! - ‘The Duchess uses social difference to offset gender difference.’ [Desens]
We are forc’d to woo, because none - Class dominance, exerts power over Antonio.
dare woo us.’
‘Time will easily scatter the tempest’ - Metaphor: Ferdinand’s rage is unpredictable and unstoppable
‘Why do you make yourself so wild a - Paralleled: suggests naivety, underestimating his ‘most perverse and
tempest?’ turbulent nature’.
‘A bettering of nature’ - Metaphor of grafting: cuttings from prized fruit trees grafted onto roots of
lesser plants. Alludes to her sexual union with her steward.
- Natural and genuine marriage rather than artificial dynastic marriage.
‘Root up her goodly forests, blast her - Sexual innuendo: and violent threats, reflecting his conflicting feelings:
meads, and lay her general territory as sexual desire and violence (also links to Blanche and Stanley).
waste’ - Nature imagery: common metaphors for the female body.
‘My imagination will carry me to see her - Irony: calling her shameful and sinful although he is the one imagining his
in the shameful act of sin’ with ‘some sister in such acts.
strong thigh’d bargeman’ - Detail of imagination: comedic effect?
‘Tis not your whore’s milk that shall - Violent imagery: Ferdinand’s inhuman desire to shed blood - monstrous.
quench my wildfire, but your whore’s - Derogatory terms, reducing women to provide ‘milk’ or ‘blood’ for his
blood.’ purpose - brutal misogyny and dehumanisation of women. Impossible to
sympathise or justify.
Quote Brief analysis
‘Some curs’d example poison’t near the - Micro/Macrocosm metaphor: if head is corrupt, the people will be corrupt.
head, death and diseases through the - Rhyme: emphasises how the king and his people are connected.
whole land spread.’ - Death imagery: foreshadows the tragedy of the play.
‘Blackbirds fatten best in hard weather; - Bird imagery: Bosola’s ambition and determination.
why not I in these dog days?’
‘Like plum-trees that grow crooked’ - Imagery of parasitism: metaphor mirroring corruption of court.
‘They are rich and overladen with fruit,
but none but crows, pies and caterpillars
feed on them.’
‘This foul melancholy will poison all his - Recurring motif of disease, poison, death: reflects how Bosola is corrupted
goodness.’ by society, his role as malcontent.
‘He did bestow bribes so largely… - Betrays the Great Chain of Being: foreshadows consequence for corrupting
without heaven’s knowledge.’ religion for personal gain.
‘The law to him is like a foul black - Predatory imagery: Ferdinand uses the law to his advantage, just as
cobweb to a spider.’ Cardinal uses religion - fundamental aspects of society are corrupted.
- Spider imagery: poison and entrapment.
‘Three fair medals cast in one figure, of - Metaphor: establishes that they are siblings. Emphasises the difference
so different temper.’ between Ferdinand and Cardinal, as well as between Duchess.
‘She stains the time past, lights the time - Syntactic parallels: poetic, romantic line - shows his infatuation.
to come.’
‘My corruption grew out of horse-dung. I - Metaphor: reinforces recurring idea that corruption spreads like poison /
am your creature.’ disease.
‘Your darkest actions, nay, your privat’st - Juxtaposing images of dark and light: foreshadowing, sense of inevitability
thoughts, will come to light.’ that she will be exposed - secrets cannot be kept.
‘Ambition, madam, is a great man’s - Alliteration: linking ambition and men, sense of inevitability that ambition
madness.’ leads to their downfalls.
‘The misery of us who are born great! - ‘The Duchess uses social difference to offset gender difference.’ [Desens]
We are forc’d to woo, because none - Class dominance, exerts power over Antonio.
dare woo us.’
‘Time will easily scatter the tempest’ - Metaphor: Ferdinand’s rage is unpredictable and unstoppable
‘Why do you make yourself so wild a - Paralleled: suggests naivety, underestimating his ‘most perverse and
tempest?’ turbulent nature’.
‘A bettering of nature’ - Metaphor of grafting: cuttings from prized fruit trees grafted onto roots of
lesser plants. Alludes to her sexual union with her steward.
- Natural and genuine marriage rather than artificial dynastic marriage.
‘Root up her goodly forests, blast her - Sexual innuendo: and violent threats, reflecting his conflicting feelings:
meads, and lay her general territory as sexual desire and violence (also links to Blanche and Stanley).
waste’ - Nature imagery: common metaphors for the female body.
‘My imagination will carry me to see her - Irony: calling her shameful and sinful although he is the one imagining his
in the shameful act of sin’ with ‘some sister in such acts.
strong thigh’d bargeman’ - Detail of imagination: comedic effect?
‘Tis not your whore’s milk that shall - Violent imagery: Ferdinand’s inhuman desire to shed blood - monstrous.
quench my wildfire, but your whore’s - Derogatory terms, reducing women to provide ‘milk’ or ‘blood’ for his
blood.’ purpose - brutal misogyny and dehumanisation of women. Impossible to
sympathise or justify.
