A Word Before You Go

"The Duchess of Malfi" is unusual structured for a tragedy in the fact that its titular character dies at the end of the fourth act, as opposed to the fifth. Though in theory robbing the final act of its most tragic death, it instead shocks and unsettles the character, and imbues the final act death of Antonio with an enormous amount of tragic impact, impact which may not have been felt as strongly as he was not quite as familiar or multifaceted a character as the Duchess. Moreover, the death scenes of these two characters exhibit one of the strongest instances of echo in the entire work. Both characters, after being fatally wounded, are visited by a repentant Bosola whoa informs them of the status of their family members. Though the scenes are nearly identical in each case, the information he imparts is necessarily opposite, rendering them undeniably similar yet distinct.

After wounding the Duchess, Bosola experiences a change of heart, renouncing the influence of her brothers and swearing filial loyalty to Antonio. His monologue is cut short by the Duchess' sudden signs of life as she opens her eyes and calls for Antonio. He responds with, "Yes, madam, he is living; the dead bodies you saw were but feigned statues; he's reconciled to your brothers; the pope hath wrought the atonement." to which she responds, "Mercy." and dies (IV, 341-5). Here, Bosola's mixture of truth (her family is still alive) and falsehood (Antonio is certainly NOT reconciled with her brothers) is Bosola's attempt to grant her a peaceful death, which he does, both saving his own character in the audience's eyes and providing for the tormented duchess the exit she deserves.

Antonio's death scene plays out nearly identically: after being mortally wounded he is attended by Bosola, who says, "I'll whisper one thing in your dying ear shall make your heart break quickly: Thy fair Duchess and two sweet children--" to which Antonio heartbreakingly interjects "Their very names kindle a little life in me," "are murdered! (V, 54-57)" Antonio goes on to give a short speech in which he essentially thanks Bosola for informing him, as after hearing such sad news he has nothing to live for, and so does not mind dying. The radical difference in Bosola's news still brings the same fate to Antonio as it did to the Duchess, resignation and understanding. In such a bleak play as this it is fitting that the only happiness afforded to these characters is a peaceful death, their mirror image death scenes perhaps indicating a reconnection in the afterlife. The key figure in these scenes, however, is Bosola, who functions like the crypt in act five, repeating the same action but in a "ghostly manner" the second time around.