CORE-II ENGLISH DRAMA # Unit III, Lesson 1: John Webster - The White Devil
CORE-II ENGLISH DRAMA
# Unit III, Lesson 1: John Webster - The White Devil
## 2 Marks Questions and Answers (10)
1. Question: When was "The White Devil" first
performed?
Answer: "The
White Devil" was first performed in 1612.
2. Question: Who are the main characters in "The White
Devil"?
Answer: The main
characters are Vittoria Corombona, Duke Brachiano, and Flamineo.
3. Question: What is the setting of the play?
Answer: The play is
primarily set in Italy, between Padua and Rome.
4. Question: Who is Vittoria Corombona?
Answer: Vittoria is
the titular "White Devil," a beautiful and ambitious woman who
becomes Brachiano's mistress.
5. Question: What is the role of Flamineo in the play?
Answer: Flamineo is
Vittoria's brother and Brachiano's secretary, who aids in their affair and
subsequent plots.
6. Question: Who is Francisco de Medici?
Answer: Francisco
de Medici is the Duke of Florence and the brother of Isabella, Brachiano's
wife.
7. Question: How does Isabella die in the play?
Answer: Isabella is
poisoned by kissing a portrait of Brachiano that has been laced with poison.
8. Question: What is the significance of the title "The
White Devil"?
Answer: The title
refers to Vittoria, suggesting that evil can come in a beautiful, seemingly
innocent form.
9. Question: What genre is "The White Devil"
typically classified as?
Answer: "The
White Devil" is classified as a revenge tragedy.
10. Question: How does the play end for Vittoria?
Answer: Vittoria
is stabbed to death by Lodovico, who is seeking revenge for Isabella's murder.
## 5 Marks Questions and Answers (5)
1. Question: Analyze the character of Vittoria Corombona in
"The White Devil".
Answer: Vittoria
Corombona is a complex and controversial character:
1. Ambition: She is
driven by ambition and a desire for social advancement.
2. Intelligence:
Vittoria is highly intelligent and articulate, as demonstrated in her trial
scene.
3. Morally
Ambiguous: While implicated in murder, she is also a victim of societal
constraints and male manipulation.
4. Strength: She
shows remarkable strength and defiance in the face of adversity and
accusations.
5. Tragic Figure:
Despite her flaws, Vittoria emerges as a tragic figure, caught in a web of
corruption and violence.
Webster presents
Vittoria as a complex character who challenges simplistic moral judgments and
societal expectations of women.
2. Question: Discuss the theme of corruption in "The
White Devil".
Answer: Corruption
is a pervasive theme in the play:
1. Political
Corruption: The play depicts a world where political power is abused for
personal gain.
2. Moral
Corruption: Characters routinely engage in immoral acts, from adultery to
murder.
3. Religious Corruption:
The play criticizes corruption within the Catholic Church, particularly through
the character of Monticelso.
4. Systemic Nature:
Corruption is portrayed as endemic to the society, affecting all levels of the
social hierarchy.
5. Contagion: The
play suggests that corruption spreads, corrupting even those who initially
resist it.
Webster uses the
theme of corruption to offer a scathing critique of Jacobean society and human
nature.
3. Question: Examine the role of revenge in "The White
Devil".
Answer: Revenge
plays a central role in driving the plot and character motivations:
1. Multiple
Avengers: Several characters seek revenge, including Francisco, Lodovico, and
Flamineo.
2. Cycle of
Violence: The play demonstrates how revenge perpetuates a cycle of violence and
destruction.
3. Justice vs.
Revenge: Webster explores the thin line between justice and personal vengeance.
4. Psychological
Impact: The desire for revenge is shown to consume and transform characters.
5. Critique:
Through its portrayal of revenge, the play offers a critique of the revenge
tragedy genre itself.
The treatment of
revenge in "The White Devil" contributes to its complex moral
landscape and tragic outcome.
4. Question: Analyze Webster's use of imagery and symbolism
in "The White Devil".
Answer: Webster
employs rich imagery and symbolism throughout the play:
1. Light and
Darkness: Used to symbolize the contrast between appearance and reality,
innocence and guilt.
2. Animal Imagery:
Frequent use of animal metaphors to characterize human behavior and
motivations.
3. Disease and
Corruption: Imagery of disease and decay to represent moral and social
corruption.
4. Religious
Symbolism: Use of religious imagery, often subverted or corrupted, reflecting
the play's critique of religious hypocrisy.
5. The "White
Devil" Concept: The central symbol of the seemingly innocent yet dangerous
woman, embodied by Vittoria.
This rich symbolic
language adds depth to the play's themes and characterizations.
5. Question: Discuss the portrayal of women in "The
White Devil".
Answer: Webster's
portrayal of women in the play is complex and nuanced:
1. Agency:
Characters like Vittoria and Zanche display significant agency, challenging
societal norms.
2. Victimization:
Women are also shown as victims of male desire and societal constraints.
3. Stereotypes: The
play both employs and subverts stereotypes about women's virtue and vice.
4. Power Dynamics:
Webster explores the ways women navigate and manipulate a patriarchal society.
5. Moral
Complexity: Female characters are presented with moral complexity, resisting
simple categorization as virtuous or evil.
Through his
portrayal of women, Webster offers a critique of gender roles and expectations
in Jacobean society.
## Essay Question and Answer (1)
Question: Analyze "The White Devil" as a Jacobean
revenge tragedy, discussing how John Webster both adheres to and subverts the
conventions of the genre to critique contemporary society.
Answer: Introduction:
John Webster's "The White Devil," first performed
in 1612, stands as a complex and provocative example of Jacobean revenge
tragedy. While adhering to many conventions of the genre, Webster also subverts
and complicates these traditions, using the framework of revenge tragedy to
offer a scathing critique of Jacobean society. This essay will examine how
Webster both employs and challenges the conventions of revenge tragedy, and how
this approach serves his broader social commentary.
Adherence to Revenge Tragedy Conventions:
1. Revenge Plot:
At its core, "The White Devil" follows the revenge
tragedy structure. Multiple characters, including Francisco de Medici and
Lodovico, seek vengeance for perceived wrongs. This adherence to the revenge
plot allows Webster to explore themes of justice, morality, and the cyclical
nature of violence.
2. Violence and Spectacle:
The play features the graphic violence typical of revenge
tragedies, including multiple murders and a climactic bloodbath. Webster uses
these elements to shock his audience and highlight the destructive consequences
of revenge.
3. Ghosts and Supernatural Elements:
The appearance of Isabella's ghost to Brachiano is a classic
element of revenge tragedy, serving to haunt the guilty and drive the plot
forward.
4. Complex Plotting:
The intricate, sometimes convoluted plot of "The White
Devil," with its various schemes and counter-schemes, is characteristic of
the genre.
5. Tragic Ending:
The play concludes with the deaths of most major characters,
fulfilling the expectation of a tragic, violent resolution.
Subversion of Genre Conventions:
1. Morally Ambiguous Protagonists:
Unlike many revenge tragedies with clear heroes and
villains, Webster presents morally complex characters. Vittoria, the titular
"White Devil," is neither purely innocent nor wholly evil,
challenging audience sympathies and moral judgments.
2. Critique of Revenge:
While employing the revenge plot, Webster also subtly
critiques the concept of revenge itself. The cyclical nature of vengeance is
shown to perpetuate violence rather than resolve conflicts.
3. Focus on Female Agency:
By centering much of the play around Vittoria, Webster
subverts the typically male-dominated revenge tragedy. Vittoria's intelligence,
ambition, and defiance challenge traditional gender roles within the genre.
4. Blurred Lines Between Public and Private:
Webster complicates the usual public/private divide in
revenge tragedies by showing how personal vendettas intersect with and
influence political actions.
5. Metatheatrical Elements:
The play's self-awareness, particularly in its commentary on
performance and spectatorship (e.g., during Vittoria's trial), adds a layer of
complexity not typically found in traditional revenge tragedies.
Social Critique Through Genre Subversion:
1. Corruption of Justice:
By showing how easily the mechanisms of justice are
manipulated (as in Vittoria's trial), Webster critiques the corruption of legal
and social institutions in Jacobean England.
2. Religious Hypocrisy:
The portrayal of corrupt religious figures, particularly
Cardinal Monticelso, allows Webster to comment on the hypocrisy within the
Catholic Church and, by extension, religious institutions in general.
3. Gender Politics:
Through characters like Vittoria and Isabella, Webster
explores and critiques the limited options available to women in a patriarchal
society, even as he plays with stereotypes of the dangerous, seductive woman.
4. Class and Power:
The play's depiction of aristocratic characters abusing
their power for personal gain offers a critique of class inequalities and the
corrupting influence of privilege.
5. Appearance vs. Reality:
By subverting the idea of clear-cut villains and heroes,
Webster comments on the deceptive nature of appearances in courtly society.
Webster's Dramatic Technique:
1. Rich Imagery and Symbolism:
Webster's use of complex imagery, particularly related to
corruption, disease, and animalistic behavior, enhances his social critique by
vividly portraying the moral decay of his fictional world.
2. Dark Humor:
The inclusion of sardonic wit and gallows humor adds depth
to characters and serves to highlight the absurdity of societal conventions.
3. Poetic Language:
Webster's often dense, poetic language contributes to the
play's complexity, inviting deeper analysis and multiple interpretations.
Conclusion:
"The White Devil" demonstrates John Webster's
mastery of the revenge tragedy genre and his ability to use its conventions as
a vehicle for social critique. By both adhering to and subverting these
conventions, Webster creates a work that is at once recognizable as a revenge
tragedy and startlingly original in its complexity and commentary.
The play's moral ambiguity, its focus on female characters'
agency, and its blurring of public and private spheres all serve to complicate
the traditional revenge narrative. Through these elements, Webster offers a
nuanced exploration of justice, gender roles, political corruption, and the
nature of evil in Jacobean society.
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