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3. Critically comment on 'The Duchess of Malfi' as a portrait of a decadent society. [10]/Write on or Critically comment on 'The Duchess of Malfi' as a portrait of a corrupt society. [08, 171/How do the images in 'The Duchess of Malfi' help portray a decadent society?[99]/In ‘The Duchess of Malfi' we are in a world of intense evil. Discuss. [97]/How do the imagery in 'The Duchess of Malfi' help in depicting a corrupt society? [96]/ What signs of decadence do you find in "The Duchess of Malfi' [2001]/Why is 'The Duchess of Malfi' often called a decadent play? Explain clearly. [95] Ans: The early 1600s was known as the Jocobean era. During this time Roman Catholic Italy was known as a "land of sophisticated corruption". The Duchess of Malfi was influenced by the politics of that time. The characters, especially, were influenced by that sort of "sophisticated corruption." We can see that sort of corruption being expressed in the characters of the Cardinal and Ferdinand. Corruption is one of the major themes in the play. The corruption is prevalent in various forms; corruption of the court, corruption of the soul and mind. Cardinal represents the corruption in the Church. He has a mistress despite being a part of the Roman Catholic Church. Ferdinand's mind is corrupt in the sense that he has incestuous feelings towards his own sister. Ferdinand and Cardinal are also corrupt in the sense that they both only care about their sister's money and power. There is no familial love. Bosola is also corrupt. For monetary reasons, he commits sins. He spies on the duchess at her brothers' request and later repents about it. In the beginning of the play, Bosola expresses his distaste for the Cardinal and Ferdinand saying, "He and his brother are like plum trees that grow crooked over standing pools". Thus in the very beginning of the play, Bosola reveals that the Cardinal and Ferdinand are dishonest and devious. The politics of the time has an apparent influence on these two characters. The Cardinal is a corrupt official in the Roman Catholic Church. In the beginning of the play we even learn that he had convinced Bosola to kill someone for him. Delio tells Antonio that he knew Bosola from the galleys and that he was sent there "For a notorious murder" and it was thought "The cardinal suborned it". Having someone killed is not a typical behavior for a cardinal. He does not hesitate to use someone to kill someone else for some kind of gain. Ferdinand is the second corrupt character in The Duchess of Malfi. In the beginning of the play Antonio describes Ferdinand as, "A most perverse and turbulent nature". Ferdinand is already characterized as being corrupt and unstable. These characteristics have been evident throughout the play. He has the Duchess killed by Bosola. After her death Ferdinand reveals his true intentions: "Only I must confess I had a hope, / Had she continued widow, to have gained / An infinite mass of treasure by her death". This shows his corrupt nature. Ferdinand and Cardinal misuse their power for their own greed and interest. Cardinal exploits his clerical powers by confiscating the duchess' property and banishing her from the state of Ancona, (as the Church had all the power over the state during the period). In The Duchess of Malfi, justice fails completely as a force for good. Instead, it is corrupted into a tool for Ferdinand and the Cardinal. The rules that govern their world are perverse and immoral. The law, which should uphold peace and fairness, is instead a "foul" trap that Ferdinand uses to benefit himself. He uses his power against the Duchess by ordering her death without any legal proceedings. The Duchess of Malfi violates all the norms of women during that time and does what her heart wants to. Women were supposed to be weak and submissive, but the duchess is not like that. She goes against the men of her family and marries the man she loves. She is an independent woman, but the consequence of her assertion of her authority leads to her death. This shows the mentality of the people during that age. If a woman asserted her individuality, she would be destined to torture, even death. She had no rights to speak for herself. The importance of class and rank is touched throughout "The Duchess of Malfi'. Cardinal and Ferdinand think Antonio's class makes him an unworthy match for the Duchess. But the Duchess believes that a man's worth is reflected by his actions and character, not by his title. From Bosola's speech we come to know that people were given high post during that time because of their noble birth or wealth. That is, only powerful people got good positions and real merit was ignored. The Duchess of Malfi was affected by the corrupt politics of the time period when it was written. The influence of the corruption in politics is clear through the characters of the Cardinal and Ferdinand.