The Duchess of Malfi is a Jacobean revenge tragedy, written by John Webster. It is a loose interpretation of the death of Giovanna d’Aragona, the Duchess of Amalfi, and starts as a love story between the Duchess and Antonio. However, it quickly turns to tragedy, as the Duchess’s brothers hear of their marriage (which would interfere with their own inheritance) and decide to kill her.

In my opinion, the most interesting part of this play is the opening. Act One is just a single ongoing scene, almost 500 lines long, which involves nearly every character entering the stage at some point. This is a very tricky balancing act, as Webster had to be sure not to overcrowd the stage, and ensure that nobody heard anything they weren’t supposed to know at this time. In this, I believe that it is a perfect representation of a royal court, made in miniature for an audience to experience.

BOSOLA: Fare ye well sir; and yet do not you scorn
us, for places in the court are but like beds in the hospital,
where this man’s head lies at that man’s foot, and so lower,
and lower.
[ Exit]

DELIO: I knew this fellow seven years in the galleys
For a notorious murder, and ‘twas thought
The Cardinal suborned it.

Webster, John. The Duchess of Malfi. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014. Lines 64-70

At this point in time, the royal court was a deeply secretive place. People thrived on gossip and intrigue, and needed to keep abreast of the current political alliances, in order to stay afloat. As such, formatting the scene in this way allows for Webster to capture the fast-paced nature of this setting; much like in the royal court, the audience must keep up with many characters, and the gossip surrounding them.

Because of this, I really enjoyed this scene; although it was hard to keep track of, at first. In order to pull it off on stage, each character would need to be very clearly defined in the audience’s mind – probably through costume – so that they do not get confused. Overall, however, this scene is very impressive in its depiction of a very specific setting.

This week, we studied William Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part One. It is a history play, meant to depict the life of both Henry IV, King of England, and his son, Prince Hal (soon to become Henry V). Due to the growing prominence of drama, and the increasing normalcy of theatres, it is a play with a grand scope and multiple settings. In this post, I will be discussing how such settings affect character – particularly in regard to Prince Hal, who crosses social boundaries when he wanders into different scenes.

FALSTAFF: Indeed you come near me now, Hal, for we
that take purses go by the moon and the seven stars,
and not by Phoebus, he, ‘that wand’ring knight so fair’.
And I prithee, sweet wag, when thou art a king, as God
save thy grace – ‘majesty’ , I should say, for grace thou
wilt have none –

PRINCE: What, none?

Shakespeare, William. Henry IV Part One. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2002. aCT oNE, sCENE TWO. lINES 12-18

When Hal is first introduced, it is in a tavern. He has made himself at home there. His social standing is indicated to the audience only through the words of Falstaff (a roguish Knight and thief), who refers directly to the future, “when thou art a king”. This would be a shock to the audience, as the previous scene showed King Henry IV in the majesty of his court, surrounded by noblemen. Hal, in contrast, has chosen to surround himself with the lower classes, in vulgarity and poverty – he has become one of them, and his father no longer wholly recognizes him as his son.

In this way, setting is vitally important to Hal’s character. He can move between settings fluidly, appearing both in the royal court and in the lower class tavern, and in this way, he is given mastery over the stage. However, this is also shown to be a temporary stage for him – a period of childishness, allowing him a modicum of freedom before he chooses his path. This choice is depicted as unavoidable. Hal must decide which setting he shall ‘settle’ in; he must put away childish things, and take on the responsibilities of a royal.