Being One in Terms of Incest

I have found Ferdinand’s secret desire for his sister compelling and disturbing. I think it is an insight into the person of Ferdinand and his evil doings and dark personality. While it has been discussed that not even Ferdinand can reason as to what he wants from his sisters body, I chose this illustration to represent Ferdinand and the Duchess and their relationship as twins, but more so to represent the sexual incest Ferdinand desires from his sister

Ferdinand is vibrant with sexual desires and undertones for his sister, The Duchess, throughout the play. So naturally when he hears of her secret marriage and children, he becomes and outraged and damns her out of his life. Incest is never portrayed in the play, but Webster no doubt implies it through the language and actions of Ferdinand. The illustration shown above depicts two person joined together, naturally forced to rely on each other for movement. Although Ferdinand and the Duchess are not joined together physically, they were conceived together and shared the same uterus in conception. It is hard to say why Ferdinand desires incest with his sister, but perhaps all leads back to the beginning of himself and his sister literally being one. Perhaps if she were to part from him he would feel less of a person and cannot bear to see a part of him that is his sister belong to someone else. Whatever the reason, the sexual desires of incest is a leading force that moves Ferdinand to act out evil and wickedness, which in turn gives The Duchess of Malfi a dark nature and plot.

Image taken from EEBO database:
Boaistuau, Pierre. Certaine secrete wonders of nature containing a descriptio[n] of sundry strange things, seming monstrous in our eyes and iudgement, bicause we are not priuie to the reasons of them. Gathered out of diuers learned authors as well Greeke as Latine, sacred as prophane. By E. Fenton. Seene and allowed according to the order appointed. 1569.