1. Jacobean Revenge Tragedy
Lesson 13
LO: To explore the theme of misogyny and analyse Ferdinand’s response to his sister’s sin. .

2. Misogyny
Misogyny means hatred of women. At the time of the Renaissance there was increased debate about the nature of women following on from the medieval debates about Eve as the cause of evil in the world. Like his contemporary dramatists, Webster engages with this debate through his plays, showing its social and economic causes.

3. Misogyny as a theme
‘The White Devil’ was published in 1612 and performed at the Red Bull Theatre, Clerkenwell by The Queen's Men Theatre Company.
The Duchess of Malfi was performed two years later in (published 1623) at the indoor Blackfriar’s theatre.
In ‘The White Devil’ the central female character of Vittoria is constantly judged by others to be a whore and a temptress

4. Context: The Bible
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, the writer describes the creation by God of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. However, in explaining how mortality and sin came into the world, the writer tells how Eve succumbed to the temptation of the serpent (traditionally associated with the devil) and then seduced Adam into evil, resulting in their being expelled from Paradise

5. Context: Society
In The White Devil, Webster presents us with contemporary ideas about women. He demonstrates how patriarchal structures define the position of women in the culture, particularly as exercised through the Church and the state. In the play these are represented by Cardinal Monticelso and Francisco de Medici. (also seen in Malfi)
Are Webster's female roles hard to delineate because that was the case for women generally in the Jacobean era? Or might this ambiguity reflect Webster's unease about the patriarchal certainties of his culture, as voiced by many of the play's male characters? The ideological position of the patriarchy would say that:
Men are associated with the functions of the mind and reason
Women are associated with the functions of the body and passion.
This would mean that women are more animalistic than men. They could then be criticised for their unbridled sexual passion; a passion that was seen as very dangerous.

6. Context: modern audiences
The position of women in society has changed since the seventeenth century, but playgoers today can still recognise the issues faced by characters like Vittoria and The Duchess in their environment.

7. Ferdinand Is Ferdinand simply a misogynist?
Read the worksheet you have been given. What do the quotes suggest about him?
Learner reseource 1.10

8. Check your learning Write a reader response to the following question:
Is Ferdinand simply a misogynist?
Plan your argument carefully using textual evidence.
Apply wider reading, context and alternative readings (e.g. contemporary vs modern or feminist approach) to your response.