The Road to Success for Men of Humble Birth in The Duchess of Malfi

張媛媛

【Abstract】The Duchess of Malfi is one of the greatest bloody tragedies of John Webster among English Renaissance drama. This paper tries to seek for a right way to success for men of low origin through learning lessons from the failure of two characters， Bosola and Antonio in the drama.

【Key words】The Duchess of Malfi； success； Bosola Antonio

The Duchess of Malfi made “close attention to lives dedicated to the service of aristocrats.” （Webster 1751） Both Bosola and Antonio are men of humble birth， and only in the way of serving the nobility can they gain wealth and position. The former dreamed to gain gold and promotion through being a spy and a murderer while the latter through marrying a Duchess. However the result is that they were all doomed to die miserably.

Bosola is considered to be the most controversial tragic figure in the play， “split between moralism and a despairing belief that morality is impossible in the world.” （Murray 184） On the one hand， he is a egocentric villain who would gain his end by hook or by crook. On the other hand， he is a victim of the rotten society whose inner goodness was poisoned relentlessly. At the beginning of the drama， audiences were told that Bosola was a ruthless professional killer. As a nobody in the corrupted society， he could do all the evil things as long as being paid for in gratitude. He spied on the Duchess in the disguise of a stableman， and murdered the Duchess and her two infants mercilessly. So， Bosola is a consummate villain from this perspective. At the same time， Bosola is a tragic figure， from lower class， in need of money， cruelly exploited by the ruling class and never be rewarded. He once lamented that “Miserable age， where only the reward of doing well is the doing of it！” （Webster 1759） He had intense conflict in his inner heart when faced up with the temptation of gaining gold and promotion. His cynicism and indignation toward the social inequality was showed clearly in the play. Under the huge living pressure， Bosola violated his goodness and tried to be a loyal servant for the vicious Duke and Cardinal. After his “sweet and golden dream” （Webster 1812） shattered， he eventually woke up. He decided not to change his “peace of conscience for all the wealth of Europe.” （Webster 1812） He sympathized with Duchesss misfortune and admired her indomitable dignity， and he became an avenger for the Duchess of Malfi. He put his entire lives upon others， being a tricky spy， a ruthless murderer， a loyal servant and a cold-blooded avenger. He gave up his own righteousness and goodness.endprint

Antonio is an upright steward of Duchess. He admired French judicious king and fair politics. He despised hypocritical noblemen and flattering courtiers. He admired the noble Duchesss wisdom， virtue， beauty and elegance deeply， but he was too fear to admit his true love. When the Duchess was brave to make a proposal and sincerely encouraged him to be her husband， he winced and hesitated. When Duchesss secret marriage was exposed， he had no courage to stand out to protect Duchesss reputation from being fouled by the scandal. When his identity as Duchesss husband was revealed， he got into a panic and did nothing but fled to Ancona， left Duchess alone to confront the tempest. During this time， Antonios cowardice was showed clearly. After the Duchess died， Antonia still fantasized about seeking reconciliation with Duchesss two brothers. Consequently， he brought about his own destruction. He was so indecisive that all the hazards surrounding him were cleared away by his wife， the Duchess， or his bosom friend， Delio.

Learning from Bosolas failure， the most important lesson is that accepting yourself and fully being what you are. Dont mimic others， no matter they are superior or inferior to you. And we have to keep our righteousness and goodness through thick and thin. It is critical for us to follow a right master and walk on the right track. Learning from Antonios failure， the most noteworthy lesson is to be confident and courageous in pursuing dreams. We should have our own minds and keep resolute and calm when facing difficulties.

References：

[1]Murray，Peter B.A Study of John Webster.Netherlands：The Hague，1969.

[2]Webster，John.The Duchess of Malfi.Ed.David Bevington.English Renaissance Drama：A Norton Anthology.Eds.Bevington，David，et al.New York and London：W.W.Norton & Company.2002.1749-1832.endprint