One can begin the discussion on the theme of incest in ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ by understanding the social conception of ‘incest’. Talcott Parsons says-“ it is not so much the prohibition of incest in its negative aspect(maintaining sexual relations) …(Instead) Incest is withdrawal from the obligation to contribute to the formation and maintenance of supra-familial bonds on which major economic, political and religious functions of the society are dependent.”
Ferdinand’s incestuous behaviour towards the duchess follows the similar pattern pointed above ,i.e., Ferdinand’s aim is not the achievement of sexual relations with his sister. One may like to contest this reading by highlighting Ferdinand’s highly erotic language for the duchess, such as-
“And women like that part, which, like the lamprey,
Hath nev’r a bone in’t.”[1.ii.255-256].
But, at the very basic plot level the argument stands refuted when despite incarcerating the duchess and visiting her in darkness, Ferdinand’s intentions are never the ones of violating her.
Thus, clearly, incest has different, problematic roots in the play. Critic Frank Whigham categorically points out that it is Ferdinand’s ‘status narcissism’ which figures as incest in ‘The Duchess of Malfi’. To understand the phrase one needs to look at the social framework of Jacobean England. Whigham points out that by the time Webster was writing, English social structure had become highly differentiated, i.e., owing to the rapid mercantilism a new social class was emerging. The aristocracy was aware of the threat the new rising class could pose ,and was posing, in terms of usurping their privileged position. In the face of such a threat, marriage within an equ...
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...ng at the multiplicity of the society by aiming at closing ranks. Thus, the theme of incest also works as a cultural critique in the play. Whigham also states that staging incest often functioned as ‘institutional policing’ whereby the withdrawal of a group from the society in the name of status was seen as shunning social responsibility,and thus criticised.
Finally, one can conclude the argument by commenting on the duchess’ role in the above-mentioned scheme of things. The duchess heroically battles her brother’s incestuous rage by not only defying him in marrying below her rank but also by dying a heroic death. In her marrying below her station critics have read her forward-looking stance ‘that enables proto –bourgeois companionate marriage to begin hiving off its territory’- thereby, giving a solid rebuttal to the parochial notion of incest.
Before Levi-Strauss, there were three primary theories put forward to explain the incest. Some, like Westermarck and Ellis, believed that the prohibition derived from an instinctive horror of familial sex inherent in a person's psychology. Others argued that the prohibition was the result of an elementary understanding of eugenics, making people vaguely aware of the potential genetic problems of inbreeding. The third explanation is the closest to what Levi-Strauss eventually arrives at, advanced by Durkheim. He believed that intimate relationships with blood relatives were prohibited because of the connection between blood and the substantiality of the tribal or personal totem. A man engaged in sexual acts with a woman who shares his blood would be in danger of coming into direct physical contact with his own blood, the `substantial expression of his kinship with his totem' (p.20). )
In eighteenth century novels, a common means of discussing the role of women in society is through the characterization of two good sisters. The heroine of such a novel is a pure, kind young woman who also has a streak of spunkiness. Her sister may be more good and kind, but she is more submissive and reserved. I would like to look at these sisters (and their mothers) in Ann Radcliffe’s A Sicilian Romance , and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole.
Alfred and Louisa Dorsets’ relationship is not literally incestuous; that is, they are not lovers. Rather, their seemingly incestuous relationship is symbolic of a much larger societal characteristic – a type of incest defined in much more expansive terms. Mr. and Miss Dorset engage in a different brand of incest known as “social incest.” Simply put, social incest is the inclination to only marry within one’s own class. In an interview with Barbara
Williamson, Edwin. "Magical Realism and the Theme of Incest in One Hundred Years of Solitude." In McGuirk and Cardwell. 45-63.
Incest in A Thousand Acres invades all the other items: it is there, and is crucial for everything that happens, but it is hidden beneath the surface of appearances.
“There was considerable intermarriage amongst the Bathory family, with some of the usual problems of this practice produced as a result. Unfortunately, beyond the ‘usual problems’ some extraordinary difficulties arose (namely hideous psychoses) and several “evil geniuses” appeared, the notorious and sadistic Erzsebet the most prominent of them.” (Krause).
In 1813, a woman’s main goal was marriage. Females wanted to find a man who could provide for them and take care of them; not all women wanted love. Many were fine with living on a wealthy estate and living in an upper-class manner. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel about the Bennet sisters, five girls whom, in the time of 1813, are all unmarried and are looking for husbands. The central conflict is based around two young women, the eldest of the five Bennet daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. The girls have their similarities and differences, and can be compared and contrasted in many ways; in terms of which is stronger at handling the pressure of relationships, context clues give a valid answer. What the reader must interpret for his
Her family life is depicted with contradictions of order and chaos, love and animosity, conventionality and avant-garde. Although the underlying story of her father’s dark secret was troubling, it lends itself to a better understanding of the family dynamics and what was normal for her family. The author doesn’t seem to suggest that her father’s behavior was acceptable or even tolerable. However, the ending of this excerpt leaves the reader with an undeniable sense that the author felt a connection to her father even if it wasn’t one that was desirable. This is best understood with her reaction to his suicide when she states, “But his absence resonated retroactively, echoing back through all the time I knew him. Maybe it was the converse of the way amputees feel pain in a missing limb.” (pg. 399)
Father-Daughter Relationships in Sidney’s The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia, Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta, and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice
The story begins with the Marquise de Merteuil corresponding with Vicomte de Valmont regarding a luscious new act of ‘revenge’, as she describes it, against the Comte de Gercourt. The young Cecile de Volanges has just come home from the convent and her marriage to Gercourt has been arranged. However, before he can wed the innocent child, Merteuil proposes Valmont ‘educate’ her, thus spoiling Gercourt’s fancy for untarnished convent girls. Valmont is uninterested in such an easy seduction and is far more aroused by the thought of lulling The Presidente’ de Tourvel, the very epitome of virtue, into submission. And so the tale unfolds.
This is the driving force behind why Ferdinand takes it upon himself to fix the wrongdoings of his sister. Ferdinand himself had affairs and was not penalized for it due to his male body. Men, without the ability to get pregnant, can hide what they have done from the public eye unless the woman gets pregnant. Men are not meant to keep this unrealistic expectation of remaining pure, as they could often save their reputations just by word of mouth if they were clever enough. Even when it came to widowhood, men and women did not have the same results. Should a man lose his wife, remarrying was not seen as shocking or damaging to one’s reputation. Sandra Cavallo and Lydan Warner discussed this idea of widowhood and state how losing a husband changed the woman’s life, while men did not have as much of a change in their everyday lives (3-4). Ultimately, Ferdinand had power due to his body that the Duchess could never
In ‘My Last Duchess,’ the speaker is conveyed as being controlling, arrogant, malicious, and capricious. The Duke shows signs of jealousy and over-protection towards his first wife. On the other hand, the narrator in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ is portrayed as who has lost touch with reality, someone clearly insane. There a few hints that this character may be lonely and withdrawn. After Porphyria enters the room he is in, the tension immediately drops and the mood warms.
The difference in social class between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth affect their ability to get married. Sir Walter doesn't like the idea of having equality with men in the service, because he thinks it makes them unworthy of certain attributes, which is not uncommon for this time period. In this situ...
“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” is written in an entertaining and adventurous spirit, but serves a higher purpose by illustrating the century’s view of courtly love. Hundreds, if not thousands, of other pieces of literature written in the same century prevail to commemorate the coupling of breathtaking princesses with lionhearted knights after going through unimaginable adventures, but only a slight few examine the viability of such courtly love and the related dilemmas that always succeed. “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” shows that women desire most their husband’s love, Overall, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” shows that the meaning of true love does not stay consistent, whether between singular or separate communities and remains timeless as the depictions of love from this 14th century tale still hold true today.
Andrews Honors Program. She did her honors thesis on the history of this specific story, and her findings included that “The Duchess of Malfi is arguably one of the more famous and studied of the non-Shakespearean revenge tragedies” (5). Webster’s play would not have been so well-known today if he chose to make this a typical love story. He took elements of all sorts of horrors such as plotting against family, friends deceiving one another, the vengeance of corruption, the madness of murder, and he even was sure to include a variety of different forms of sexual inappropriateness. None of these things were extra effects; each played an important part to his theme of destruction, not only of the court, but of the individuals who lived