set in Roman Catholic Italy, would have been associated with corruption by contemporary audiences

Antonio praises the French court, offering the play's notion of an ideal royal state

'A prince's court is like a common fountain ... poison't near the head, death and diseases through the whole land spread'

Some fellows, they say, are possessed with the devil, but this great fellow were able to possess the greatest devil and make him worse.

Believe my experience: that realm is never long in quiet where the ruler is a soldier.

'Some such flashes superficially hang on him'...'observe his inward character: he is a melancholy churchman'

'he strews in his way flatterers, panders, intelligencers, atheists, and a thousand such political monsters.'

He speaks with others' tongues, and hears men's suits With others' ears; will seem to sleep o’th' bench Only to entrap offenders in their answers;
Dooms men to death by information, Dooms men to death by information,

I have taken you off your melancholy perch, Bore you upon my fist, and showed you game, And let you fly at it. I pray thee, kiss me. When thou wast with thy husband, thou wast watched Like a tame elephant - still you are to thank me.

'Can this ambitious age have so much goodness in't as to prefer A man merely for worth, without these shadows of wealth and painted honours'

'like to calm weather at sea, before a tempest, false hearts speak fair to those they intend most mischief'

'Thou art happy that thou hast not understanding to know thy misery; for all our wit and reading brings us to a truer sense of sorrow'

'That's the greatest torture souls feel in hell: In hell that they must live, and cannot die'

I account this world a tedious theatre, For I do play a part in't 'gainst my will.

'Damn her! That body of hers, While that my blood ran pure in't, was more worth than that which thou wouldst comfort, called a soul'

'I had a hope, had she continued widow, to have gained an infinite mass of treasure by her death, and that was the main cause: her marriage - that drew a stream of gall quite through my heart'

'It may be that the sudden apprehension of danger - for I'll go in mine own shape - When he shall see it fraught with love and duty, may draw the poison out of him, and work a friendly reconcilement. If it fail, yet it shall rid me of this infamous calling; For better fall once than be ever falling.'

Whether we fall by ambition, blood or lust, Like diamonds we are cut with our own dust.

'ambition is a great man's madness' Antonio

'he is a fool that being a cold will thrust his hands into the fire' - Antonio

'could I take him at his prayers, There were hope of pardon' - Antonio

Antonio identifies when things are dangerous but does them anyway

rigid hierarchy and class system but marriage to the Duchess represents shifting attitudes to marriage

despite attitudes to marriages changing, the Duchess and Antonio's death shows it had not fully changed

Antonio knows the Cardinal is superficial but still thinks he will talk to him bc he is religious

'Some such flashes superficially hang on him' - Antonio

'whether the spirit of greatness or of woman reign most in her, i know not; but it shows a fearful madness. I owe her much of pity' - Cariola

'time will easy scatter the tempest' - The Duchess

the Duchess thinks her class status. outweighs the rigid class structure and patriarchal control of her brothers

she is a threat because she is a widow - patriarchy gives her brothers control over her (Coverture laws)

links to Elizabeth 1 - female ruler who refused to follow societal expectations

Elizabeth 1 was not punished but the duchess was

the naivety is emphasised by the reader's knowledge of the source material. Giovanni D'Arragona did marry Antonio and died for it, and the revenge tragedy genre means we know she will suffer

malcontent, thinks he can better himself in a strict society

'That long hath ta'en a sweet and golden dream: I am angry with myself, now that I wake'

'did bestow bribes so largely and so impudently as if he could carry it away without heaven's knowledge'