| The Duchess of Malfi | |
|---|---|
| The Duchess of Malfi character | |
| Created by | John Webster |
| Portrayed by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | |
| Family | Antonio ( second husband) Ferdinand (twin brother) The Cardinal of Aragon(elder brother) |
| Nationality | Italy |
About the Character
The Duchess of Malfi is a fictional character in John Webster's dramatic play The Duchess of Malfi (1612-13). In the play, The Duchess is depicted not only as beautiful, but also smart, kind, and tender. Despite the loss of her first husband, the Duchess remarries to Antonio, her steward. In the play, due to the different social classes that Antonio and the Duchess belong to and the Duchess's brothers disapproval, both the Duchess and Antonio kept their marriage a secret. The Duchess disregarded Antonio's economic social class and admired his virtue and noble characteristics. In their marriage they had three children. The love that Antonio and the Duchess's shared wasn't enough to keep them together. The Duchess's brothers jealousy caused Ferdinand, her twin brother, to order Bosola, the Duchess's master of the horse, to kill her. The Duchess dies and later Antonio does too, when Bosola accidentally kills him. This tragedy is believed to be based on Giovanna d'Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi (d. 1511).