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'Despite the fates of the central female protagonists, it is the men…
'Despite the fates of the central female protagonists, it is the men with whom we sympathise'. In response to this view explore connections between the presentation of male characters A Streetcar Named Desire and The Duchess of Malfi.
Streetcar
Stanley
we sympathise with him
Stanley is a victim of his 'own gendered languages and social norms' (Tapp), just like Blanche is
Stanley's behaviour is a product of his difficulty adjusting to his new reality, after the war
in the war, Stanley was a soldier with freedom and power, yet in New Orleans he has just two rooms as his domain
this is why he is especially defensive of his space, akin to an animal defending its territory
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Stanley is described as 'stalk[ing]', the animalistic comparison suggests he is without reason or logic, and just acts based of instinctive defensiveness
his habits of killing in the war have dissipated into his normal life, manifesting itself in domestic violence, in which 'Stella cries out'
the domestic violence of Stanley could be reminiscent of William's own father, described by him as a 'volcano' which is akin to Stanley's description as a 'powder-keg'
this may suggest that Williams has some sympathy for Stanley, as he reminds him of his father
indeed, Williams once suggested that Stanley 'is not evil'
Stanley is simply acting out due to his past, and he feels threatened by the advent of Blanche, who he views as an enemy in war
we don't
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after the domestic violence, 'I want my baby down here!'
this showcases how Stanley doesn't respect his wife Stella, through infantilising language
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he easily deceives Stella, by having sex with her, which he believes will solve everything
'life with Stanley - sex with Stanley - is of her highest value' (McGlinn), Stella relies on Stanley which amplifies his power and makes him less pitiable
this is augmented by 'he was as good as a lamb when he came back, and he's really very, very ashamed of himself'
the use of epizeuxis here reflects the repetition of Stanley's actions, and how he is able to keep getting away with them
the use of the imagery of a lamb has biblical connotations of sacrifice, as Stella sacrifices her own physical safety to be with Stanley, which means we do not pity Stanley
this eventually leads to his 'ultimate penetration - rape' (Shead), as the whole plot features Stanley penetrating the psyche and identity of Blanche, by digging up her past
when Stanley rapes Blanche, she is 'sinks to her knees' and he carries her 'inert figure' showcasing her subjugation and passivity and his physical dominance of her
this rape makes Stanley wholly dislikable to modern audiences, eliminating any potential for sympathy
however, in the first performance of the play, audiences applauded the rape scene, as they felt a 'madwoman...had been successfully exorcised' (Spector), meaning there was ample sympathy for Stanley
however, Williams still attempted to portray Stanley negatively, as he is 'an agent of Blanche's destruction' (Lart)
Webster
Ferdinand
we sympathise with him
Webster mentions that the main family are actually not from Italy, but Spain
Spain was known for its incestuous royal Hapsburg family, causing grotesque birth defects
between 1500 and 1700, an estimated 80% of Hapsburg marriages were incestuous
this may suggest that Ferdinand's 'dark web of lust' (Dusinberre) around his sister is inherent, and he cannot help his feelings
indeed, his guilt over his incestuous passion leads him to madness, as he has a 'most perverse and turbulent nature'
Bliss claims that the Cardinal's 'cool, unemotional detachment' is more frightening that Ferdinand's 'impassioned raving', and so he is not scary, and rather we sympathise with him more
Nandor Fodor's "Lycanthropy as a Psychic Mechanism" argues that Ferdinand's type of lycanthropy can be seen as "self-denunciation" or the freeing of one's guilt.
therefore, Ferdinand does feel guilt for his feelings and eventual killing of his sister
Thomas Bright's Treatise of Melancholy in 1583 suggests it is wrong to mock the mad, and rather should sympathise with him
moreover, contemporary audiences may have sympathised with Ferdinand, as he eliminated the woman, the Duchess
at this time, 'women were all necessary evils' according to Swetman's 'the Arraignment of lewd, idle, froward, and unconstant women'
therefore, Ferdinand may be sympathised with and even admired for his treatment of the Duchess
we don't
Ferdinand's behaviour leads to the death of the Duchess, as he is corrupt
'a common fountain - poison't near the head, death and diseases through the whole land spread'
this links to the theory of body politic which was prevalent at the time, as it was believed corruption at the top of the country, for example amongst the 'princely brothers' , influenced the corruption of the whole country
therefore, Ferdinand acts as a 'microcosmic' element that corrupts the whole region
this is representative of 'the presence of evil and decay that drags all mankind to death' (Bogard), in the play
Ferdinand is responsible for the climate of corruption in the play, causing many deaths, which places him at the centre of evil and makes him impossible to sympathise with
moreover, he insists that the Duchess 'needs be mad' and torments her with a 'deadly dogged howl', the alliteration here emphasising the extent of the horror for the Duchess
he eventually kills his sister who is then viewed as a tragic heroine, meaning she is more likely to be sympathised with
the Duchess 'achieves heroism through her death' (White), making her more favourable, instead of Ferdinand