John Webster explores the attraction of the forbidden in myriad ways. The nature of the attraction and the powers that determine what is prohibited vary from country to country. However, the theme remains manifest in all cases discussed in this essay. It is clear that a strong comparison can be drawn between 'The Duchess of Malfi' and John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' regarding the theme of attraction to the forbidden. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One of the first allusions to the theme of attraction to the condemned is that of Bosola discussing the corrupt and morally repugnant nature of Ferdinand and the Cardinal. He states that “He and his brother are like plum trees growing crooked on stagnant ponds; they are rich and loaded with fruit, but only crows, cakes and caterpillars feed on them. This shows that they are aware that their actions within the court are absolutely reprehensible and therefore probably morally prohibited. However, later in his speech he mentions how “it hung on their ears like a leech until I was full, and then it fell off.” Despite being aware of the brothers' moral bankruptcy, he is prepared to subject himself to an internally self-destructive moral conundrum in the pursuit of monetary and social cronyism. He depends on this patronage to support himself since due to his previous criminality he has been forced to cede part of his autonomy to his brothers. This notion of complacency at court would have resonated especially with the Jacobean public of the period. The court of James I was notoriously plagued by corruption; it was an institution rich with those who savored the financially and socially sweet fruit that is political servility. A fundamental tenet of Renaissance tragedies is the greater emphasis on an anthropocentric worldview. Therefore, God and the divine become a minor element within the plays. This shift is also paralleled in the morality of Renaissance works, as ethical paradigms shifted towards that which is more selfish than the teachings exemplified in religion. This explains the servility within the court of James I, and also Webster's cynical portrayal of the courtiers in "The Duchess of Malfi". The mention of “plum trees… laden with fruit” can be interpreted as an allusion to the forbidden fruit of Milton's “Paradise Lost”. Although in 'Paradise Lost' the tree in the Garden of Eden is presented as somehow divine, it truly represents the transition to a postlapsarian era and the fall of man. Therefore, the metaphor of the crooked plum tree that Bosola talks about is similar in that it represents the sin, servility and vices of humanity, similar to the tree in the Garden of Eden. The marriage of the Duchess and Antonio is also a clear example of attraction to the forbidden. For Antonio, it is socially forbidden to marry the Duchess as he would be marrying above his status and would be excessive. Although Antonio acts against the social construct that forbids their marriage, he simultaneously participates in it, as he upholds many social expectations of her, even minor things like taking off his hat. In the Jacobean period, it was considered a serious violation of social norms for the nobility to marry people considered unworthy of their marriage. Despite this, and the inevitable violent repercussions of the duchess's brother, Antonio still goes ahead with the marriage. Although his pursuit of this marriage is self-destructive, his demonstration of an obscene incitement of both lust and love for the Duchess with his long speech in Act 1, Scene 2 showswho is ready to risk well-being for the sake of love. He revels in his rapture and the ecstasy of his speech; “His speech is so full of ecstasy, that only then will you begin to regret when he finishes his speech.” This shows how he considers the Duchess probably to have the sweetest taste of all. Furthermore, the fact that she is socially forbidden to Antonio could be the cause of his desire and love for her. However, an alternative interpretation would be that it is false to draw a connection between the Duchess' being socially off limits and Antonio's intense attraction towards her. There is nothing to explicitly suggest that the cause of his attraction to the Duchess is due to her being forbidden, although it may be seen as a potential factor in his love. The dynamics of the marriage can also be seen from the Duchess' perspective, as she too would have been banned from marrying. Although the brothers have suggested marriage to some potential suitors, including Bosola, it is clear from subsequent dialogue that they wish for her to remain unmarried. This is mainly due to the duchess' financial wealth not being shared and taken away from the family. Like Antonio, the Duchess would have been socially prohibited from marrying Antonio due to the general public's disdain for marrying outside one's class. The Jacobin public of the time would have shared this sentiment and argued that the policy should be supported. It should be noted that the primary source of the work was "The Palace of Pleasure", which is a text that would support the condemnation of the Duchess' marriage as she is marrying below her standard. Quality was determined by one's position in society and she is violating an accepted social norm by ignoring Antonio's quality. The statement “forbidden tastes are the sweetest” seems more applicable here, as it can be argued that part of the reason she pursues Antonio is because in doing so she realizes the ability to demonstrate her autonomy and becomes an explorer of the unknown. She is a woman who employs her agency, which is largely rare, and so by pursuing Antonio she is fighting the patriarchal social boundaries that attempt to prevent her from doing so. The duchess would also have been forbidden on a potentially legal and moral level to marry Antonio. If her previous marriage had not been annulled, it would be incredibly improper for her to remarry. Contemporary audiences at the time would have been aware of this and therefore would have been less sympathetic towards the Duchess. The audience would not have been afforded the same social mobility as a more modern audience, so this must be considered when contemplating how they would have reacted. A contemporary audience would be much more sympathetic to the Duchess than a contemporary Jacobean audience and so this must be considered when investigating Webster's portrayal of the characters. The Duchess' actions are the catalyst for tragedy within the play, connecting to the theme also present in "Paradise Lost", where lost women bring about the final destruction of their societies. The Duchess and Eva are not both free from blame as, although they acted without malicious intent, they have both brought ruin upon themselves and their loved ones through their disobedience to social structures. It can be argued that they were naive in believing that they could challenge or overcome these structures. A clear example in the play that would relate to this statement would be that of the apricots in Act 2, Scene 1. What is usually forbidden in the play can be classified as socially, morally or legally forbidden. The above mentioned events and occurrences areintrinsically prohibited, however apricots are consequently prohibited. The act of eating an apricot, of course, is not prohibited in itself. However, for the Duchess, they are forbidden towards her because they expose her, and they also expose what is forbidden. People of the Renaissance era believed that pregnant women craved fresh fruit and that apricots in particular would induce labor. Webster's contemporary audiences would have been keenly aware and so the mention of apricots would have immediately alerted them to the danger the fruit posed to the Duchess. There is a myriad of relationships that can be drawn with 'Paradise Lost', relating to the forbidden fruit and the acts of women. Aside, Bosola says “How greedily he eats them!”, demonstrating the duchess's intemperance. This relates to Paradise Lost as the intemperance of the women (the Duchess and Eve) directly causes their downfall. Even Eve cannot resist the temptation of the fruit and therefore gives in to her intemperance and eats it. This directly leads to her and Adam's downfall. There are also similarities in the offender who seduces the woman of both texts, Bosola and Satan. Both present the fruit as something that should be eaten, and both trick women into exposing themselves. Another relationship can be traced between Adam in Paradise Lost and Anthony; they are both men who suffer because their partners give in to temptation. Furthermore, not only are apricots prohibited because they will expose the Duchess, but what they expose (pregnancy) is also prohibited. The child is the result of a potentially illegitimate marriage as the Duchess's previous marriage is believed not to have been annulled. This would have meant that the Jacobean public, more concerned with the sacred sanctity of marriage and the legitimate procedure of the sacrament, would have had less sympathy towards the duchess for marrying Antonio despite not having properly ended the marriage with her deceased previous husband. (as above). The statement "Forbidden tastes are the sweetest" also refers to forbidden sexual desire. For example, Julia is a forbidden fruit for the Cardinal, as this adulterous relationship is forbidden both socially and morally, and furthermore the Cardinal's position in the Church means that he should abstain from sexual relations anyway, making his sexual fraternization even more shocking. This denunciation of corruption within the Church parallels David Carnegie's statement "the Church stripped of its disgusting eggs will prove barbaric." The cardinal's actions would have greatly shocked a Renaissance audience; however, the severity and scandalous nature of his actions may be lost on today's audiences. In an effort to combat this problem, directors of recent performances of "The Duchess of Malfi," most notably Kevin Spacey, have gone so far as to have actors portray sex on stage to attempt to incite the same outrage in Jacobean audiences . The most obvious example of a forbidden relationship is the incestuous relationship that Ferdinand desires with the Duchess. He has an intense desire for her, but recognizes that it is socially and morally forbidden, so he tries to hide it. When asked by Bosola why Ferdinand wants him to examine the Duchess; “You don't ask why; but be satisfied. I say I wouldn't." Ferdinand's taboo desire probably stems from his obsession with maintaining blood purity, and therefore why he so disapproves of the Duchess marrying someone else. Alternatively it can be argued that this is not the case as Ferdinand suggests several suitors for the Duchess, however it seems clear that he does not really intend these.