Ferdinand

Character
Evidence
Cruel
Cruelty is revealed in Ferdinands twisted wish to drive the
Duchess into madness through the methods he employs.
- Use of artificial wax figurines(Act 4 Scene 1)
Into thinking Antonio and his children are dead
- Use of madmen in the next scene
(Act 4 Scene 2) as a means to psychologically torture the
Duchess
The visual spectacles employed on stage are meant to
devastate the Duchess and drive her to despair.
The performance of the madmen on stage contributes to a
sense of chaos and suffering in the atmosphere.
While the Duchess is being punished due to her social
transgression, on a more personal level, it reflects
Ferdinands anger as he feels betrayed and that as if he has
lost control over the Duchess sexually.

Hot-tempered

Ferdi : Excellent, as I would wish, shes plagued in art.

These presentations are but framed in wax

Bosola: Why do you do this?

Ferdi: To bring her to despair

(Act 4 Scene 1)

Till I know who leaps my sister, Ill not stir:

That known, Ill find scorpions to string my whips,
And fix her in a general eclipse.
( Act 2 Scene 5)

Read there: a sister damned, shes loose Ithhilts, Grown a

Ferdinands violent and raging outbursts and the use of

witchcraft and satanic undertones in his speech points to his
eventual degeneration and madness.

notorious strumpet!

Ferdinands violent outbursts and dark imagery in his speech

highlights his emotionally troubled self. Ferdinand possessed
a strong temper and his inability to contain his rage is soon
translated to madness which thus explains his descent into a
werewolf in Act 5.

Read there: a sister damned, shes loose Ithhilts,

Grown a notorious strumpet!

Tis not your whores milk that shall quench my

Wild-fire,

Rhubarb, oh rhubarb
To purge this choler! Heres the cursed day
To prompt my memory, and here it shall stick
Til of her bleeding heart I make a sponge
To wipe it out.
Apply desperate physic!
We must not now use balsamum, but fire,
The smarting cupping-glass, for thats the mean
To purge infected blood, such blood as hers.
There is a kind of pity in mine eye,
Ill give it to my handkercher-and now tis here,
Ill bequeath this to her husband.
But your whores blood!
I would have their bodies
Burnt in a coal pit with the ventage stopped,
That their cursed smoke might not ascend to
heaven;
Or dip the sheets they lie in, in pitch or sulphur,
Wrap them int and them light them like a match;
Or else to boil their bastard to a cullis
( Act 2 Scene 5)

Lustful
The sexual undertones and explicit imagery in Ferdinands
speech points to his unhealthy obsession with the Duchess
Also signals the start of his mental instability and
degeneration of self as he possessed a rather strong,
unnatural liking for this sister.

This was my fathers

poniard: do you see?/Id be
loath to seet look rusty,
cause twas his
And woman like that
part which, like the lamprey,
/ hath neer a bone int
(Act 1 Scene 1)

Cardinal
Character
Deceptive
Notice the Cardinals measured and calculative approach as
he conceals his involvement in the Duchesss death very well.
He orders the other characters ( Ferdi, Bosola) to carry out his
ploys instead so that he does not have to get his hands dirty
in the murdering of the Duchess
In Act 2 Scene 5 where the Duchesss secret marriage is
being exposed, observe the Cardinals seemingly calm
demeanour on the outside even though he is as equally
angry as Ferdinand deep inside.
[Contrast]: to Ferdinands raging and violent outbursts

Be sure you entertain that Bosola

For your intelligence; I would not be seen int
( Act 1 Scene 1)
Are you stark mad?"
Ist possible?
Can this be certain?
Speak lower.
/Why do you make yourself
so wild a tempest?
( Act 2 Scene 5)

Thus, the manner of Cardinals reaction further points to his

strong capacity for deceit

Corrupted
The Cardinal is undeserving of his position as he attained it
through bribery and underhand means.
His use of the Bible to poison Julia in order to conceal his
wrongdoings tells us how he unjustifiably exploits his religious
standing and authority for selfish purposes.

He should
have been Pope, but instead of coming to it by the primitive
decency of the Church, he did bestow bribes so largely, so
impudently, as if he would have carried it away without
heavens
knowledge. Some good he hath done
(Act 1 Scene 1)
He strews in his way
flatterers, panderers,
intelligencers, atheists and a thousand
such political monsters
(Act 1 Scene 1)

Bosola
Character
Conflicted
Bosola portrays himself as a rather conflicted character to the
audience as despite his outwardly evil deeds that he
undertakes for the brothers, his speech and behaviour in
certain instances prove otherwise.
In Act 4 Scene 1, notice how he starts to display faint notions
of morality when he detaches himself from the
commandments of Ferdinand
He questions Ferdinands judgement Why do you do this?
when he intends to torture the Duchess.
The absolute reply Never reveals the depth of his moral

I served your tyranny, and

rather strove
To satisfy yourself than all the
world;
And though I loathed the evil
yet I loved
You, that did counsel it, and
rather sought
To appear a true servant than
an honest man.
(Act 4 Scene 2)
I must do
All the ill man can invent. Thus the devil

conscience as he directly defies Ferdinands words for the

first time.
Furthermore, Ferdinands morality is highlighted once again
in Act 4 Scene 2, where he elicits genuine remorse towards
the unjustified death of the Duchess. Notice how Webster
dedicates a large verbal space(22 lines) for his great speech
of remorse
Oh, shes gone again: there the cords of life broke.
This is manly sorrow:
.
Worth my dejection

Candies all sins oer: and what heaven terms vile,

That names be complemental.
(Act 1 Scene 1)
Why do you do this?
Faith, end here
And go no farther in your cruelty.
Never.
Never in mine own shape,
Thats forfeited by my intelligence
And this last cruel lie. When you send me next
The business shall be comfort
( Act 4 Scene 1 )

Notice how Bosola takes on various roles in the play. He is an

intelligencer, bell-man, tombmaker and an avenger for the
Duchess as well. Thus, the fact that he puts on various masks
points to his internal conflict as he is seems to be not able to
settle for a clear identity.

Hypocritical
Bosola reveals the double standards in his behaviour and
conduct.

The dramatic irony given off from Bosolas false words of

assurance to the Duchess highlights the hypocrisy in his
character as he went on and puts on the roles of tomb-maker
and the bellman in the subsequent scene to psychologically
torture the Duchess

All comfort to your grace

Oh fie: despair? Remember
You are a Christian
Come be, of comfort, I will save your life.
Now, by my life, I pity you
( Act 4 Scene 1)

Loyal slave
Bosolas professed loyalty to the brothers is evident as he
went on and fulfilled the roles of a spy and intelligencer in the
subsequent acts.
He discovers the note dropped by Antonio regarding the
Duchesss pregnancy in Act 2 Scene 4 and dutifully reported
it to the brothers.
His absolute proclamation to Ferdinand I am your creature
implies he is a slave, as if he is voluntarily in submission to
Ferdinands will.

Greedy

I am your creature
(Act 1 Scene 1)
I served your tyranny, and
rather strove
To satisfy yourself than all the
world;
And though I loathed the evil
yet I loved
You, that did counsel it, and
rather sought
To appear a true servant than
an honest man.
(Act 4 Scene 2)

Ferdinand:

Theres gold

Bosola
Bosola functions as a mercenary as he intends to do the
brothers bidding for the sake of material gain even though he
is fully aware that he is compromising his morals here.

So:
What follows? Never rained
such showers as these
Without thunderbolts Ithtail of them.
Whose throat must I cut?
( Act 1 Scene 1)

Misogynistic

Though lust do masque in neer so strange disguise/

Bosolas language is infested with animal imagery and pests

that gives off a sense of decay. It highlights the disgust
Bosola has towards women as he utilises dark humour as a
means to make fun of the opposite gender.
On a deeper level, Bosolas lengthy and detailed discourse
towards the Old Lady is a reflection of the social attitude
towards women at that time where women are expected to
remain submissive and be compliant.
Also talks about the human condition, how humans resort to
ugly ways of lying and scheming in order to fulfil their
ends/selfish interests.
Webster utilizes Bosola as a mouthpiece to reveal the ugly
side of its rulers/leaders in power behind Malfis royal
faade/exterior.

Shes oft found witty, but is never wise,

( Act 2 Scene 3)
Why, from your scurvy face-physic.
To behold thee not painted inclines somewhat near
/A miracle. These in thy face here, were deep ruts and foul
sloughs, the last progress
fat of serpents, spawn of snakes,
dead pigeon
But in our own flesh, though we bear diseases
Which have their true names only taen from beasts,
/As the ulcerous wolfs and swinish measle
Though we are eaten up of lice and worms,

A rotten and dead body, we delight (Act 2 Scene 1)