Malfi and Merchant Comparison: Punishment

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Punishment

Similarities

  • May and Julia are both effectively punished for their sexual deviancy, Pluto reveals May's deception to Januarie and Julia is poisoned by the Cardinal after kissing a book (which is the bible in some productions).
  • Both texts use religious imagery to suggest that the ultimate punishment the characters will receive will be in the afterlife, Julia and May have committed the mortal sin of adultery, Cariola commits the mortal sin of despair and pleads her belly (which may have a morbidly humorous effect on the likely legal professionals in the audience), the only one who is likely to go to heaven is the Duchess, and in later productions she and Antonio are reunited in heaven.
  • Januarie is punished for his reliance on sycophants, as is Ferdinand. Januarie is forced to remain metaphorically blind to the deceptions of his wife, as Coghill suggests "Januarie appears helpless, romantic, generous and tragic" and is mocked by both the pilgrims and Chaucer's audience. Ferdinand embodies regression and supernatural fears of lycanthropy, which was thought to be a reflection of the loss of a soul and therefore no hope of salvation. Hirsch - "threatened not only the concept of a charitable, loving God, but also that of sin and salvation".

Differences

  • While May talks her way out of her punishment for adultery, Julia and the Duchess are both punished by death. Vicker's argues that they become "a collection of beautifully dissociated objects" like Glorianna in 'The Revenger's Tale'.
  • Punishment in the Merchant's Tale has less permanence than in The Duchess of Malfi, in which all the main characters are killed and forced into the ultimate passive state. In The Merchant's Tale it is suggested that May will continue to deceive Januarie with little earthly impact.

Overall comparison

Overall there are similarities in the religious significance of the characters' punishments, which is reflective of the continued importance of religion in society through from the 14th to the 17th century. While the main characters in The Duchess of Malfi are punished for their transgressions within the text, with mass deaths at the end of Act 5, in The Merchant's Tale there is no final punishment for May or Damian and it is implied their relationship will continue despite Janurie's restored sight. Despite this it is implied that all the characters will be punished for their venial and mortal sins in heaven. Additionally, both Januarie and Ferdinand are punished for their reliance on sycophants, Ferdinand deteriorates into a lycanthropic form, leading the audience to question the concept of salvation while Januarie remains trapped in the fantasy he has created, evoking both sympathy and humour for Chaucer's audience. 

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