Tabling: The Duchess of Malfi Act I

Welcome back to the Duchess of Malfi! 

Join Emily Ota, Samantha Blinn, Will McKay, Robyn Hoedemaker, Zoë Goslin, John MacCormick, Sam Jenkins-Shaw, Bathsheba Piepe, Sally O' Leary, Brittany Chandler & Ariana Karp as we discuss Act I of Webster's glorious play.

We discuss a plethora of topics from how one could reduce the cast to a sleek, small ensemble to the dramaturgical questions of how long a woman would be in mourning after her husband dies, the strange incestuous obsession that both Ferdinand and the Cardinal have with their sister's sexuality, the court culture of watching people and 'intelligencing,' and the humour within the beautiful wooing scene between the Duchess and Antonio. 

Also we can break down each of the main characters within the 4 Elizabethan Humours.

  • The Duchess: Sanguine-Blood, Hot, Wet, Air, Spring
  • Ferdinand: Choleric-Yellow Bile, Hot, Dry, Fire, Summer
  • Cardinal: Phlegmatic-Phlegm, Cold, Wet, Water, Winter
  • Bosola: Melancholic-Black Bile, Cold, Dry, Earth, Autumn
The Four Humours 

The Four Humours