The White Devil Act 2, Scene 2 Summary

The Conjuring

  • Brachiano enters with a Conjurer—the guy who's going to use magic to let him see how his wife and Vittoria's husband are murdered.
  • The conjurer gives a little speech about how a lot of people are practicing fake magic, but he's the real deal. (Brachiano paid him a lot, but the conjurer still feels uncomfortable about this, it seems.)
  • Thanks to genuine magic, the Duke is able to see his wife's murder. She enters her chamber with Giovanni, Lodovico (who's trying to get with Isabella), and other attendants. She kisses the Duke's picture as she does every night—only, this time, Doctor Julio and Christophero (a henchman with no lines) have smeared poison on the lips. She dies. Brachiano is delighted.
  • Next—in a different vision—they see Flamineo, Marcello, Camillo, and four captains enter. They drink and dance. Marcello leaves the room, and they get ready to jump over a vaulting horse. But Flamineo breaks Camillo's neck, and makes sure he's dead with the help of the other four (all conspirators). They place the body to make it look like a gymnastics accident.
  • Marcello enters and sends for the cardinal and the Duke—they apprehend Flamineo and the others with an armed guard, and go to find Vittoria.
  • The Duke says he needs to leave, since he doesn't want to get caught (he's in the same house as Vittoria, Flamineo, and the rest). He exits.
  • The conjurer exits after saying that great men do either "great good" or "great harm."