For a lot of The Duchess of Malfi, it looks like the ability to manipulate and cheat is what keeps you on top. The Duchess and Antonio are fine as long as their own lies keep them afloat. But when the superior machinations of Ferdinand and the Cardinal kick in, things rapidly go downhill for the couple. The only problem with this is that none of these characters—up to and including the Master of Deception himself, Bosola—make it out alive. Even the Cardinal, as good as he is at the lying and cheating game, is eventually caught in his own web, ultimately getting murdered while his own courtiers listen, standing idly by, per his own orders.
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- How does the Duchess measure up to her two brothers in this regard? Is she just as ready and able to manipulate and trick people to achieve her aims?
- If you need the king of lies of deceit, Bosola's your guy. He's a fabulous spy, but at what personal cost does his work as a spy come?
- What is the "base quality / Of intelligencer" (3.2.322-23) that Bosola talks about?
- Masks and doubles are frequently used in this play, even by nonessential characters—why?
Chew on This
There is no way for an honest ruler to survive and succeed in the world that Webster writes about. You have to play dirty if you want to make it. In the words of Henry II, "I've snapped and plotted all my life. There's no other way to be alive, king, and fifty all at once."
While the spying-strategy-backstabbing stuff can help you win in the short term, ultimately even the cleverest practitioners of Machiavellian tactics end up dead, indicating that lies and deceit don't actually carry the day.