Passion and Revenge in The White Devil Essays - Theatre,

Passion and Revenge in The White Devil John Webster was born around 1580 and died around 1634. He " was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies "The White Devil" and "The Duchess of Malfi", which are often regarded as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. " 1 According to Ren e Weis in the introduction of the book "The Duchess of Malfi and other plays" by John Webster, "The White Devil" is based on "sources about the life and death of Vittoria Accoramboni of Gubbio (1557-85) and her turbulent marriage (or repeated marriages) to the Duke of Bracciano. The play traces the couple's relationship, aided and abetted by Vittoria's brother Flamineo. " 2 [Webster, 1996: XV] However, in this paper I will focus on the passion and revenge in the play. Passion, according to me, is the driving force in the play "The White Devil". Had it not been for the passion the characters felt, they probably wouldn't have acted the way they did. Flamineo's passion to climb up the social ladder is what incites him to plot with Bracciano the murders of Bracciano's wife, Isabella, and Flamineo's brother-in-law, Camillo. Bracciano's passion for Vittoria is what stimulates him to hire someone to murder Isabella and plot with Flamineo the murder of Camillo. The passion of Francisco to avenge Isabella's death is what incites him to disguise later on in the play and poison Bracciano. Lodovico's passion for Isabella, he is in love with her, is what incites him to enter the quest for revenge with Francisco and Cardinal Monticelso , who wanted to avenge the death of Camillo. Since Bracciano is in love with Vittoria, the sister of Flamineo, Flamineo does whatever he is capable of to aid Bracciano in marrying Vittoria: "FLAMINEO Pursue your noble wishes; I am prompt/ As light ning to your service. O my lord! / ( Whispers ) The fair Vittoria, my happy sister, / Shall give you present audience. - Gentlemen, / Let the caroche go on, and tis his pleasure/ You put out all your torches and depart. " 3 ( The White Devil 1.2. 4-9 ). Bracciano then asks about the husband of Vittoria, Camillo; Flamineo responds by saying "Hang him, a gilder that hath his brains perished with quicksilver is not more cold in the liver." 4 ( The White Devil 1.2. 26-27 ) Even so early in the play Flamineo already suggest to Bracciano to murder Camillo since he is "a gilder" which according to the notes in the book " The Duchess of Malfi and Other Plays by John Webster " means "repeated exposure to the vapors of mercury used in gilding could cause tremors and insanity when inhaled. The liver was thought to be the seat of passion." 5 The meaning of the sentence is that Camillo is basically useless. Further lines down Flamineo keeps on encouraging Bracciano to pursue Vittoria romantically. Flamineo tries so hard to persuade Bracciano to pursue Vittoria all because of the passion he has to climb up the social ladder. Personally, Flamineo reminds me of Hamlet's uncle, who so desperately wanted to become a king and kills his own brother and marries his brother's widow. Bracciano, on the other hand is easily manipulated because of the passion he has for Vittoria. He is ready to do whatever it takes to have Vittoria. He publicly announces his divorce with his wife Isabella: " BRACCIANO This is the latest ceremony of my love ; / Henceforth I'll never lie with thee, by this, / This wedding-ring; I'll ne'er more lie with thee. / And this divorce shall be as truly kept, / As if the judge had doomed it; fare you well, / Our sleeps are severed. " 6 . In order to marry Vittoria, he is capable of anything. He hires Doctor Julio and Christophero to murder his wife, he plots with Flamineo the murder of Camillo. Bracciano won't stop at anything to have Vittoria. Later on in the play, this passion he has for Vittoria drives him jealous. He finds love letters, which were written to Vittoria and he is ready to kill her. Bracciano doesn't want anyone beside him