the theme of corruption as reflected in 'The Duchess of Malfi.'
Or, Why is “The Duchess of Malfi” called a decadent play?
Or, Write on “The Duchess of Malfi” as a portrait of a corrupt society.
A decadent play is a kind of drama that shows a corrupt society that is full of evil, selfishness, and moral decay. The term ‘decadence’ means ‘decline’. In this type of play, we see a decline in moral values. The characters are full of greed, power, lust, and cruelty.
“The Duchess of Malfi,” first performed in 1613 or 1614, is a perfect example of a decadent play. In this play, John Webster (1578-1632) portrays a corrupt society that is full of greed, jealousy, lies, cruelty, and bloodshed. This play shows a decline in moral values after Shakespeare’s time. In Shakespeare’s time, plays were full of life, energy, and hope. But in the Jacobean era (1603- 1625), plays became full of bloodshed, madness, and death.
Let us look at some important parts of the play to understand how Webster shows a corrupt society.
Corrupt Rulers/Brothers: The two main villains of the play are the Duchess’s brothers: Ferdinand and the Cardinal. They are both powerful men, but they use their power for evil. Ferdinand is the Duke of Calabria. He is cruel, proud, and mentally unstable. The Cardinal is a high-ranking churchman, but he is not holy at all. He is greedy and full of sin. He has a secret affair with Julia, Castruccio’s wife.
Ferdinand and the Cardinal do not care about their sister’s happiness. They only care about her wealth. They do not want the Duchess to marry again after her first husband dies. Ferdinand even has an incestuous desire for the Duchess. He is full of rage and jealousy when he learns that the Duchess has secretly married Antonio. These two brothers set Bosola to spy on the Duchess. Later, they plan to take revenge on her. Ferdinand has her imprisoned, tortured, and killed. Ferdinand says:
“I would have their bodies
Burnt in a coal-pit…”
This line shows his extreme cruelty and madness.
Corrupt Church: Webster portrays a society in which even the church is corrupt. The Cardinal is a high-ranking churchman, but he is not holy at all. He is a hypocrite and a murderer. He uses religion as a mask to hide his evil actions. The Cardinal has a mistress named Julia. He kills Julia when she learns about his secrets. The Cardinal uses the Bible to poison her. He says:
“Thy curiosity
Hath undone thee: thou'rt poisoned with that book;”
The Cardinal uses the Bible as a murder weapon. This act becomes a symbol of religious corruption. The Church, which should be pure and kind, is full of sin in this play.
Spying, Lies, and Madness: The society in “The Duchess of Malfi” is full of spying, lying, and madness. Bosola, a contract killer, becomes a spy for the brothers. He pretends to serve the Duchess but reports her actions to her brothers. Bosola captures the Duchess and also participates in her torture. Later, he also accidentally kills the Duchess’s husband, Antonio. Moreover, the murder of the Duchess is so brutal that Ferdinand immediately feels remorse. He says:
“Cover her face: mine eyes dazzle: she died young.”
His sense of guilt makes him mad.
End Full of Death and Darkness: In this dark society, there is greed, lust, cruelty, and bloodshed everywhere. The play ends with many deaths: the Duchess, Antonio, Ferdinand, the Cardinal, Julia, and Bosola. Evil destroys almost everything. This tragic ending shows that there is very little hope in this decadent society, if there is any. As Bosola says in his final moment:
“O, this gloomy world!
…deep pit of darkness.”
In conclusion, “The Duchess of Malfi” powerfully exposes the corruption and moral decay of Jacobean society. Through ruthless characters, misuse of power, and tragic events, Webster presents a world where evil dominates and virtue dies. The play is called decadent because it vividly portrays the decline of ethical values. It shows the destructive consequences of unchecked ambition and corruption.