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Recommended: The duchess of malfi summary

Jankowski, Theodora A. “Defining/ Confining the Duchess: Negotiating the Female Body in John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi.” Studies in Philogy 87.2 (1990): 221-245.
Theodora Jankowski’s article argues that despite the Duchess’ failure to create a “successful means by which she can rule as a woman sovereign”, she defies “Jacobean society’s views” (Jankowski 222) concerning the depiction of the female body and sexuality. The contradictions in the notion of a female ruler are explored in the ways the Duchess is presented using her “body natural and body politic” (222). Jankowski points out that instead of using her body’s potential for power, the Duchess attempts to divorce her natural body from her political body, and in turn separates her public and private lives. By keeping her second marriage and children private, she creates a triple position as wife, mother, and ruler, and therefore becomes a threatening figure, especially to her brother Ferdinand who sees her private life as unacceptable and over sexual. Jankowski explores the Duchess’ journey from ruler, to wife and mother, to eventually a suffering martyr. She concludes that even though the Duchess refuses to unite her body natural and her body politic, the nature of her marriage is revolutionary and challenges social custom and foregrounds her character in its subversive ideology with great power (244).
This source seems highly credible due to its extensive use of quoted material and consideration of historical context. It references sufficient evidence to support her somewhat modern feminist argument by using sources that explore women’s authority during the this era, as well as referencing other scholars outlooks on the issue. It is interesting that both Erin E...

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...ay spends a lot of time exploring the philosophies of the time, as well as the generalities of the maternal nature of the pregnant and female body in a historical context, at times steering away from literature in question. Although Ray references original source material, and other scholars, he at times lacks support to his analysis, perhaps because of the generalities he claims.
As I mentioned it is difficult not to agree with Sid Ray’s article. The maternal and pregnant Duchess does challenge male authority, often by claiming authority over her personal life opposing Ferdinand and the Cardinal’s wishes. By talking in depth about the pregnant female body, Ray somewhat disregards the fact that the Duchess’ pregnant body is often disguised or hidden offstage in her private life with Antonio, rather than in her public life as a head authority of the Duchy of Malfi.

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