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 |  موضوع: The best plot of the Duchess Of Malfi  السبت مايو 08, 2010 11:21 pm | |
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Act 1
Scene 1—The Duchess’s palace in Malfi: Antonio and Delio are discussing the
formers return from France, and discussing how the French king runs his court,
comparing it to an easily poisoned fountain. They are interrupted by the entry
of Bosola and the Cardinal. Antonio and Delio hold their conversation, stepping
to the background to watch as Bosola angrily tries to gain the Cardinal’s
pardon, speaking of the time he has spent in the galleys in penal servitude, and
in the service of the Cardinal. Bosola declares that he is surely done with
service, but the Cardinal is not interested in Bosola’s new merit, and takes his
leave. Bosola compares himself to Tantalus, never able to acquire the thing he
most desires, like an injured soldier who can only depend on his crutches for
support of any kind. When he leaves, Antonio and Delio comment on his past
offense, and how he will surely come to no good if he is kept in neglect.
Ferdinand comes into the palace, talking to his courtiers about a tournament
which Antonio has just won. When the Cardinal, Duchess and Cariola enter to
speak with Ferdinand, Antonio and Delio have a moment to themselves to discuss
the Cardinal’s character; he is found to be a very dishonest, disagreeable
person, as is his brother, Ferdinand. Only their sister, the Duchess, earns the
approval of everyone, a very pleasant and gracious woman. After the two
gentlemen leave, Ferdinand petitions his sister to make Bosola the manager of
her horses; when everyone else leaves, Ferdinand and the Cardinal reveal that it
is because Bosola is to spy on their sister. Bosola, who is brought in and made
aware of this plan, he at first refuses, but ultimately is given no choice. The
Cardinal and Ferdinand then turn their attention to their sister, urging her not
to marry again, now that she is a widow, going so far as to threaten her with
death, in Ferdinand’s case. She refuses to be bullied, and once her brothers are
out of sight, she proposes to Antonio by giving him her wedding ring. Having
Cariola, the Duchess' maid, as their witness, this private ceremony is legally
binding and the Duchess and Antonio become husband and wife.
Act 2
Scene 1—The Duchess’s palace in Malfi, nine months later: Bosola and
Castruchio enter, Bosola criticizing his companion’s appearance, and telling him
that he would make a ridiculous judge. When an old woman intrudes on their
conversation, Bosola’s insults turn on her, calling her hideous to the point
that no amount of make-up would help. He also accuses her of being too like a
witch; the old lady and Castruchio leave Bosola alone to muse on the mysterious
way the Duchess is acting of late. He believes she is pregnant (no one but Delio
and Cariola know that the Duchess and Antonio are married), and aims to prove it
by using apricots to spark her pregnant appetite. The Duchess, when she enters,
accepts the fruit from Bosola, and becomes ill enough to go to her chambers, a
worried Antonio following in her wake.
Scene 2—Same place and time as the previous scene: Bosola, alone, realizes
that the Duchess is indeed pregnant. After accosting the hapless old lady again,
he watches as Antonio and the servants in a commotion about a Swiss mercenary
who had invaded the Duchesses room, and the loss of several jewels and gold
utensils. Even with all the uproar, Antonio is not distracted from his wife’s
“illness”; she is actually in labor. Cariola, the lady’s maid, enters with good
news once Antonio is alone—he is the father of a son.
Scene 3—Same place and time as the previous scene: Bosola re-enters the now
empty room, having heard a woman (the Duchess) shriek. Antonio discovers him,
and questions his purpose in being there, since everyone had been commanded to
keep to their rooms. Antonio tells him to stay away from the Duchess, since he
doesn’t trust Bosola. In Antonio’s agitation, he accidentally drops a horoscope
for his son’s birth, which Bosola retrieves. He realizes what it means, and
resolves to send it to the Duchess’ brothers with Castruchio.
Scene 4—The Cardinal’s rooms: The Cardinal and his mistress, Julia, are
discussing their rendezvous, when a messenger calls the Cardinal away with an
important message. Delio enters to find Julia alone. He was once a suitor of
hers, and offers her money. Julia leaves to meet her husband, Castruchio, and
Delio fears that her husband’s arrival means Antonio’s secret marriage is about
to be revealed.
Scene 5—Rome, in Ferdinand’s private apartments: An enraged Ferdinand, with
the letter from Bosola, and his brother the Cardinal, meet to discuss what they
think is an awful treachery by their sister. Ferdinand is angry to the point of
shouting about his sister’s “whorish” behavior (he knows of the child, but not
of the marriage), and the Cardinal struggles to control his brother’s
temperamental outburst. Ferdinand resolves to discover the man his sister is
seeing, threatening all and sundry.
Act 3
Scene 1—The Duchess’s palace in Malfi, after some time has passed: Antonio
greets the returning Delio, who has come from Rome with Ferdinand. Antonio
reveals that the Duchess has had two more children in the time Delio was gone.
Antonio fears the wrath of the recently arrived Ferdinand, and Delio tells him
the ordinary people think the Duchess is a whore. While they talk, the Duchess
and Ferdinand enter. He tells her that he has found a husband for her, the Count
Malateste. She disregards this, as she is already married (still secretly of
course) to Antonio. When left alone, Ferdinand consults with Bosola in order to
discover the father of the three seemingly illegitimate children; Bosola has
acquired a skeleton key to the Duchesses room, which Ferdinand takes, telling
him to guess what will happen next.
Scene 2—The Duchess’s bedchamber: Antonio comes up to the Duchesses bedroom
to spend the night, and they banter back and forth about the point of lovers
just sleeping together. Antonio and Cariola leave to allow the Duchess to
complete her night-time preparations, but she is not alone; Ferdinand sneaks in
and startles her. He gives her a knife, intending her to kill herself, and his
fury increases when she tells him she is married without his knowledge.
Ferdinand leaves, declaring he will never see her again. He exits just in time,
for Antonio bursts in brandishing a pistol, but the Duchess forces him to leave
again when Bosola knocks at the door. Bosola informs the Duchess that Ferdinand
has left for Rome again, and she tells him that Ferdinand’s bills of exchange
(he has so far dealt with her accounts) will no longer work, since Antonio has
been false with her accounts. This is, of course, a trick to get Antonio out of
Malfi; she calls Antonio back in (once Bosola exits) to tell him to flee to
Ancona, where she will send him all her treasure and valuables. The couple put
on a show argument for the benefit of the returning Bosola and officers, where
she criticizes his faulty record keeping and banishes him. Bosola does not
believe the Duchess was justified in banishing Antonio, and tells her that
Antonio is a good, honest man. This speech prompts the Duchess to confide the
secret marriage to Bosola. He is then left on stage to lament his role as a spy,
for now he must reveal all to Ferdinand.
Scene 3—A room in a palace at Rome: The Cardinal, Ferdinand, Malateste,
Pescara, Silvio and Delio are discussing the new fortifications that are being
made in Naples. Ferdinand and his men, leaving the Cardinal and Malateste to
speak privately, are very harsh in their critique of Malateste, considering him
too cowardly to fight in an upcoming battle. Bosola, meanwhile, interrupts the
Cardinals private conference with news of his sister. The Cardinal leaves to
petition for her and her family’s exile from Ancona, while Bosola goes to tell
the Duchess’s first child (from her first husband) what has happened with his
mother. Ferdinand goes to find Antonio.
Scene 4—The shrine of Our Lady of Loreto, Italy, in the Ancona province: Two
pilgrims are visiting the shrine in Ancona, and witness the Cardinal being
symbolically prepared for war. The Cardinal then proceeds to take the Duchess’s
wedding ring, banish her, Antonio, and their children, while the pilgrims muse
over the reason for what they have just seen.
Scene 5—Near Loreto: The newly banished family, and the maid Coriola, enter
Loreto. Shortly after their arrival, Bosola comes and presents the Duchess with
a letter from Ferdinand, which indirectly states that Ferdinand wants Antonio
dead. Antonio tells Bosola that he will not go to Ferdinand, and the Duchess
urges him to take the oldest child and go to Milan to find safety, which he
promptly does. Bosola and masked guards then take the Duchess and her remaining
children captive, on the orders of her brothers.
Act 4
Scene 1—A prison (or the Duchess’s lodgings serving as a prison) near Loreto:
Ferdinand comes in with Bosola, who is describing to him how the Duchess is
dealing with her imprisonment. It seems she is not affected to Ferdinand’s
satisfaction, and he leaves angrily. Bosola greets the Duchess, telling her that
her brother wishes to speak with her, but will not do so where he can see her.
She agrees to meet with her brother in the darkness. Once the lights are out,
Ferdinand returns. He presents her with a dead man’s hand, leading her to
believe that it is Antonio’s, with her wedding ring on it. He then exits,
leaving Bosola to show the Duchess life-like figures of her husband and
children, made to appear as though her family was dead. The Duchess believes
them to be the genuine articles, and resolves to die—her despair is so deep it
affects Bosola. When she leaves, Ferdinand re-enters; Bosola pleads with him to
send his sister to a convent, refusing to be a part of the plot anymore.
Ferdinand is beyond reason at this point, and tells Bosola to go to Milan to
find the real Antonio.
Scene 2—Same place and time as the previous scene: The Duchess and her maid,
Coriola, come back, distracted by the noises being made by a group of madmen
(Ferdinand brought them in to tyrannize her). A servant tells her that they were
brought for sport, and lets in several of the madmen. Bosola, too, sneaks in
with them, disguised as an old man, and tells the Duchess that he is there to
make her tomb. When she tries to pull rank on him, executioners with cords and a
coffin come in. Coriola is removed from the room, leaving Bosola and the
executioners with the Duchess. The Duchess makes a brave show, telling the
executioners to “pull, and pull strongly”, welcoming her strangulation. Coriola
is brought back, and after struggling fiercely, she too is strangled. Ferdinand
comes to view the scene, and is also shown the bodies of his sister’s children,
who were murdered as well. Ferdinand reveals that he and the Duchess were twins,
and that he had hoped, if she had remained a widow, to inherit all her wealth.
Bosola, sensing that Ferdinand is ready to turn on him next, demands payment for
his atrocities. Ferdinand, distracted, leaves him alone with the bodies.
Astonishingly, the Duchess is not dead! A shocked Bosola has no time to call for
medicine; he manages to tell the Duchess that Antonio is not really dead, that
the figures she saw were fake, before she finally dies. Bosola, remorseful at
last, takes her body to the care of some good women, planning to leave
immediately thereafter for Milan.
Act 5
Scene 1—Outside Ferdinand and the Cardinal’s palace in Milan: Antonio returns
to see if he can reconcile with Ferdinand and the Cardinal, but Delio is dubious
as to the wisdom of this. Delio asks Pescara, a marquis, to give him possession
of Antonio’s estate for safekeeping, but Pescara denies him. Julia presents
Pescara with a letter from the Cardinal, which states that she should receive
Antonio’s property, and which Pescara grants to her. When Delio confronts him
about this, Pescara says that he would not give an innocent man a property that
was taken from someone by such vile means (the Cardinal took the property for
himself once Antonio was banished), for it will now become an appropriate place
for the Cardinal’s mistress. This statement impresses the hidden Antonio. When
Pescara leaves to visit an ill Ferdinand, Antonio decides to pay a night-time
visit to the Cardinal.
Scene 2—Inside the same palace: Pescara, come to visit Ferdinand, is
discussing his condition with the doctor, who believes Ferdinand may have [ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذا الرابط]:
a condition whereby he believes he is a wolf. The doctor thinks there is a
chance of a relapse, in which case Ferdinand's diseased behaviour would return;
namely, digging up dead bodies at night. Pescara and the doctor make way for the
mad Ferdinand, who attacks his own shadow. The Cardinal, who has entered with
Ferdinand, manages to catch Bosola, who has been watching Ferdinand’s ravings.
The Cardinal assigns Bosola to seek out Antonio (by following Delio) and then
slay him. After the Cardinal leaves, Bosola does not even make it to the door
before he is stopped by Julia, who is brandishing a pistol. She accuses him of
having given her a love potion, and threatens to kill him to end her love.
Bosola manages to disarm her and convince her to gather intelligence for him
about the Cardinal. Bosola then hides while Julia uses all of her persuasive
powers to get the Cardinal to reveal his part in the death of his sister and her
children. The Cardinal then makes Julia swear to keep silent, forcing her to
kiss the poisoned cover of a book, causing her to die almost instantly. Bosola
comes out of hiding to confront the Cardinal, although he declares that he still
intends to kill Antonio. Giving him a master key, the Cardinal takes his leave.
However, once he is alone, Bosola swears to protect Antonio, and goes off to
bury Julia’s body.
Scene 3—A courtyard outside the same palace: Delio and Antonio are near the
Duchesses tomb; as they talk, an echo from the tomb mirrors their conversation.
Delio leaves to find Antonio’s eldest son, and Antonio leaves to escape the
distressing echo of his wife’s resting place.
Scene 4—The Cardinal’s apartments in Milan: The Cardinal enters, trying to
dissuade Pescara, Malateste, Roderigo and Grisolan from staying to keep watch
over Ferdinand. They unwillingly exit, and Bosola enters to find the Cardinal
planning to have him killed. Antonio, unaware of Bosola, sneaks in while it is
dark, planning to seek audience with the Cardinal. Not realizing who has
entered, Bosola attacks Antonio; he is horrified to see his mistake. He manages
to relate the death of the Duchess and children to the dying Antonio, who is
glad to be dying in sadness, now that life is pointless for him. Bosola then
leaves to bring down the Cardinal.
Scene 5—The same apartments, near Julia’s lodging: The Cardinal, unaware of
what has just happened, is reading a book when Bosola enter with a servant, who
is bearing Antonio’s body. He threatens the Cardinal, who calls for help. Help
is not forthcoming, for the gentlemen from the beginning of the previous scene,
while they can hear him calling, have no desire to go to his aid. Bosola kills
the servant of the Cardinal first, then stabs the Cardinal. Ferdinand bursts in,
also attacking his brother; in the fight, he accidentally wounds Bosola. Bosola
kills Ferdinand, and is left with the dying Cardinal. The gentlemen who heard
the cries now enter the room to witness the deaths of the Cardinal and Bosola.
Delio enters too late with Antonio’s eldest son, and laments the unfortunate
events that have passed.[/size][/size][/size][/size] | |
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