"The Duchess of Malfi"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 481, 10 September 1948, Page 8

"The Duchess of Malfi"

I T does not often happen that an amateur dramatic society is asked to change the order of its major productions to suit university students, But it has happened to The Thespians, of Wellington. The society had planned to produce John Webster’s "The Duchess of Malfi" this season and as the play belongs to the Elizabethan period being studied at all New Zealand University Colleges this year, Professor Ilan Gordon (Professor of English at Victoria University College) suggested, before he left on a visit to England last May, that it be produced in September rather than later in the year, for the benefit of students ’ sitting their degree examinations in October. We are informed that inquiries about bookings for "The Duchess of Malfi,’ which will be performed in the Town Hall Concert Chamber from September 14 to 18, have been received from many parts of New Zealand. In the following article, FRANK PONTON, a member of The Thespians, tells the story of "The Duchess of Malfi."

ILE troops of the United States Fifth Army were landing. in the Gulf of Salerno on September 9, 1943, the small town of Amalfi looked over the waters of the gulf seemingly untroubled. Amalfi, now a jumble of barbaric towers, wandering streets and careless terraces, had seen too much turbulent history and violent death to be more than slightly disturbed by mechanised destruction. Once, Amalfi was a naval power renowned for her seamanship, stout’ vessels and wealth which forged bonds of commerce with the Levant. But in the 12th Century the waxing power of Pisa, jealous of Amalfi’s prestige and trade supremacy, teached out from the north and left the town in smoking ruins. ‘What was left was finally destroyed by earthquake and storm in December, 1343, a catastrophe "described in detail by Petrarch. Thereafter Amalfi became a quiet and lovely town, bearing the scars of its suffering with dignity, and in the 15th Century it was given as a Duchy to Antonio Piccolomini; the nephew of Pope Piug II. As a wife for his son and heir,, Duke Antonio chose Joanna, a granddaughter of the King of Naples and a member of the House of Aragon. Soon after their marriage, her husband Alfonso, succeeded to the Duchy, but in five years Joanna found herself Duchess of Amalfi, a widow and responsible for the town and her husband’s debts till her infant son should be old enough to rule in his own right. ‘THE late Alfonso’s financial affairs were so chaotic that thé Duchess appointed a trusted adherent of the House of Aragon, Antonio Bologria, ‘as Controller of Finance, and they had no sooner met than they fell in love. Mar-

fiage, however, was impossible. Antonio’s family was on a social plane far below that of the House of Aragon, and Joanna knew that her two brothers, Ludovico (a precocious genius and a Cardinal. of the Church of Rome) and Carlo (the erratic Marquis of Gerace) would destroy both Antonio and herself if they knew that sucha step were contemplated. 4 So they compromised. In the presence of. only one witness, the Duchess’s waiting-woman, a secret, common law marriage was contracted, and for a time, despite the birth of 4 son, the sécret was kept. But when the Duchess became pregnant for the second time, a rumour reached the ears of her brother the Cardinal, who -introduéed his creatures into the palace at Amalfi and bided his time. Antonio and Joanna were no fools. Soon an atmosphere of distrust pervaded the whole palace and they knew their secret was out. As tension ,mounted the two lovers found the situation intolerable, and having sent Antonio on to Ancona secretly ahead of her, the Duchess announced her intention of visiting the shrine at Loretto, eventually setting out with a large retinue. Once at the shrine, she pave her courtiers the slip, joined her husband at Ancona, openly acknowledged the marriage and announced that they intended to live in future as private citizens. HERE the matter did not rest. The honour of the House of Aragon had suffered a rebuff which could be wiped out only in blood, and the fury of Joanna’s two brothers was that of deranged minds. The Marquis was almost frantically insane, but the Cardinal used his great power and influence with governors and magistrates to prevent Joanna (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) and Antonio ffom finding sanctuary wherever they went. Harried from town to town, and in despair, husband and wife decided to part temporarily till the Cardinal’s anger abated. Joanna afgued that her brothers would not. harm her, though she knew this was not true, and she secretly proposed to use herself as a diversion so that her husband and eldest son would have a chance to escape from the mesh that was closing round them. She -allowed herself to be captured while Antonio pressed on to Milan where he had powerful friends. But the fury of the two brothers could be assuaged only by the death of husband and wife, and from the moment the Duchess was dragged into a castle in her own Duchy she was never seen again. Antonio, heartbroken, waited in Milan till one morning, on his way to Mass, he was killed by a band under the leadership of Daniele de Bozolo, employed by the Cardinal. This true story, taken over almost in its entirety by Webster, forms the plot of one of the most moving tragedies written for ‘the English. stage. The Duchess of Malfi was first produced in 1613-14. It contains (in Act IV, Scene II) the often-quoted dramatic line "Cover her face. Mine eyes dazzle. She died young." ;