The Fourth Act of The Duchess Essay example

Though Borachio hears that Hero, Claudio, and Don Pedro settle the confusion and Claudio and Hero are still getting married, he still feels that there is time to create more conflict to prevent this seemingly inevitable marriage. Being the love interest of Margaret (Hero's waiting woman) allows Borachio to conjure up another plan to accomplish this task. After devising a plan to make it seem as though Hero is being unfaithful to Claudio, Borachio goes to Don John and advises him that Claudio and Don Pedro "will scarcely believe this without trial . . . hear me call Margaret Hero, hear Margaret term me Claudio" (2.2.40-44). Borachio and Margaret are at the window, and from Claudio's view, he cannot tell that it is Margaret, not Hero, in the window with Borachio. Henceforth, this mistaken identity causes the main conflict in the play, one where Borachio takes the role of the villain. Because Don John has a reason to hate his brother, Borachio's acts seem much more villainous because he has no direct motivation. Having the full intention to disrupt the marriage of Claudio and Hero, Borachio develops his plan on his own and is offered compensation from Don John subsequent to this development. Don John tells Borachio that his "fee is a thousand ducats" (2.3.53), making Borachio's only obvious direct motivation receiving full compensation for his villainous actions. Borachio's misleading act sets the stage for the

The most pivotal scene in the play (act 4 scene 1) is between the marriage of Leonato's daughter Hero to Claudio. In this scene the blush of Hero after being said to have slept with another man is set too signify “guiltiness not of modesty” to Claudio. However the Friar of the town believes that Hero's blush is that of her “innocence and virtue.”

* Act 4 Scene 1 Lines 1-104 (Shaming of Hero), Lines 105-247 (Plan by Friar Francis) and rest of the scene (Beatrice and Benedick)

Count Claudio falls in love Leonato’s daughter Hero and confesses his love for her to Don Pedro, who decides to woo Hero for Claudio. Don John being a mischievous man decides to ruin Claudio’s love for Hero. Don Pedro says to Claudio,”I will assume thy part in some disguise and tell fair Hero I am Claudio, and in her bosom unclasp my heart…”(1.1.316-318). This is very important; it is the first time someone has been deceived in this comedy. It begins a series of events of duplicity or deceitfulness.

	The most heinous act of deception in Much Ado About Nothing is committed against Hero, the daughter of Leonato, and Claudio. These two characters, unlike Beatrice and Benedick, fall in love after seeing each other for the first time – Shakespeare’s classic case of love at first sight. The deception starts after Borachio overhears Don Pedro’s plan to "assume thy part in some disguise" (1.1.305) in order to woo Hero for Claudio. At the masquerade party, while Don Pedro is dancing with Hero in hopes of wooing her for Claudio, Borachio and

I think this is a particularly interesting point since it is the Duchess who defies the conventions of nobility as well. I completely agree with you that she behaves the most nobly of the characters, treating her servants and the lower class well, forgiving her executioners, and retaining her dignity despite the psychological torture her brother inflicts on her. However, she also chooses to defy the expectations of her class when she marries Antonio and starts a family with him. Not only does she defy her class expectations but she also directly defies her brothers' will, and therefore defies society's expectation of her to do whatever her male family members command. I think the Duchess exemplifies what it truly means to be noble, which is

     Lady Macbeth is a central character in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth; she provides a link between the unnatural realm of the witches and reality. Lady Macbeth appears to become the catalyst for the predictions of the witches. Perhaps the witches planted the seeds of dreams, desire and destiny but it is the unrelenting drive of Lady Macbeth that finally cajoles Macbeth into murdering the king.

In “My Last Duchess” Browning made it so that the narrator branded his wife with the stigma of being a “loose” women, making it so that she was seen as impure and tainted to all those around them (fgcu.edu). Using an AABB rhyme scheme to make the poem flow more rhythmically Browning opens the poem up with the Duke telling the story of his last duchess who was to impure and loose to be his wife as he states, “Sir, ’twas not/Her husband’s presence only, called that spot/Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek” (lines 13-15). Suggesting that she allowed other men to touch her the way only he was suppose too, making it so that her soul and her body was no longer clean and free of others, taking away her image of being “pure”. The duke wanted to be able

This poem, written in 1843 by Robert Browning, tells the tale of the fictional Duke of Ferrara’s former duchess. While discussing with a servant his plans to remarry, the Duke reflects upon some of his late wife’s memorabilia, including a portrait of her. He explains that she was pleased too easily; that “she had a heart…too soon made glad” (22-23). He expressed to the servant that his former duchess too often gave her attention to other men and ranked them just the same as she ranked her own husband, who very clearly believes that under no circumstances should he be in competition with a stranger for his wife’s kindness. Thus, it is inextricably apparent that her overly-friendly disposition was a source of deep discomfort to the Duke. It is suggested in the poem, though not explicitly stated, that the Duke had his last duchess killed so that he could start over with a newer, better-behaved wife.

As the play proceeds, the negotiations of marriage start to cloud Baptista’s judgment and thus he finds himself easily opening his house to strangers without questioning their intentions or identity. He says two very similar lines when he greets Petruchio and Tranio disguised as Lucentio; “I know him well. You are welcome for his sake” (II, i, 69), and “I know him well. You are very welcome, sir” (II, i, 104). Whether its because of his clouded judgment or his welcoming personality, Baptista opens his and house and unintentionally allows two suitor to infiltrate his home. In addition, Baptista is blinded by the negotiations of marriage because he treats them like business. He is even found admitting to this when he says, “Faith, gentlemen, now I play a merchant’s part, and venture madly on a desperate mart” (II, i, 318-319). This quote shows how Baptista views the marriage of Petruchio and Kate as a business transaction involving risk in which he is engaged in. Being caught up in these arrangements, Baptista grows greatly oblivious and thus he makes poor judgments and decisions for his daughters, making him a terrible

Bosola’s corrupt unstable disposition is overwhelmed by the Duchess’ constant virtuosity and impetuous pride for herself throughout the play. The Cardinal, out of everyone, should be the incorruptible figurehead, executing sanctity, but as Charles Forker describes in Skull

Another significant part of the play is the theme of confinement and entrapment. The Duchess of Malfi is trapped and the only way to liberate her soul is through death. Bosola is hired to keep track on the Duchess’ actions, Ferdinand and the Cardinal set a trap for the Duchess which will lead to her death. Ferdinand warns her what will happen “Your darkest actions, nay, your privatest thoughts, will come to light.” when she gets caught she will be killed (Webster 1580). The spying activities by Bosola take years to come up with the results that the brothers of the Duchess want, but they have a prompt effect on the life of the Duchess. Her emotions and movements are restricted and her secret marriage is indeed “the entrance into some prison” (Webster 1580). She is not only restricted in this, but also trapped in her class role “we are forced to woo, because none dare woo us” (Webster 1583). Furthermore the theme of betrayal is present in the play, through brutal entrapment, when Antonio’s recognizes that Bosola is trying to sabotage him. This happens after the birth of his first child, a baby so fragile it is opposite to a soul being imprisoned in the body. Which is reflected in Ferdinand’s outburst “Foolish men, That e’er will trust their honor in a bark made of so slight weak bulrush as is woman, apt every minute to sink it!” (Webster 1597).

The Duke is the pivotal character of the play but neither his character nor his action is clears enough. After his departure and delegation of his power the play really begins and the readers are kept waiting for the solution of the problem in the city of Vienna. The Duke who is called “a scholar a statesman and a soldier”( Shakespeare, Measure for Measure Act III, sc ii line 126) and yet has “ever loved life removed”( Shakespeare, Measure for Measure Act I, sc iii line 9) and “contented especially to know himself”( Shakespeare, Measure for Measure Act III, sc ii line 199-200) can not overcome by argument why he delegated authority and yet wanted to watch the trusted man, Angelo. On the part of Angelo , authority was drive upon him. Angelo himself says: “Let there be some more test made of my metal”( Shakespeare, Measure for Measure Act I, sc i line 49)

play as a whole. Act 4 is the act in which Antonio and Shylock's trial

The fourth Act, containing the grandest scene in the play, opens in the court of Justice in Venice. We know from the previous scenes that Portia has taken command and set the stage for the trial scene. She sent her servant Balthazar to Dr Bellario, the legal expert, for information regarding Antonio's case bringing his answers to the ferry at Venice.