The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster.

1. Uttara University
Department of English
Group Presentation on The Character of Daniel de Bosola
Topic Given By : Monir Hosen
Course Code : ENG - 201
Course Title : ELIZABETHAN DRAMA
Group Name : Tiramisu
Group Members Name : 1. SUMAIYA FARJANA MARIA
ID : 2183181001
2. SHIRIN SULTANA LIMA
ID : 2183181015
3. MOHAMMAD FAHAD ANIM
ID : 2183101020

2. Character of Daniel de Bosola
From The Duchess of Malfi
Group : Tiramisu

4. The Short Summary of The Duchess of Malfi
● The Duchess of Malfi takes place in Italy, the play tells the story of
the Duchess, a young widow who falls in love with the lower-class
Antonio.
● The Duchess' evil brothers, Duke Ferdinand and the Cardinal, don't
really approve of the Duchess marrying Antonio.
● However, the Duchess and Antonio marry in secret and have three
children before being found out.
● The Duchess and Antonio attempt to run away and Antonio and
their eldest child manage to escape.

5. ● However, the Duchess is betrayed by her servant Bosola, who was
secretly working for Ferdinand, and the Duchess and her two
younger children are executed.
● The injustice of this turns Bosola against the Cardinal and
Ferdinand and he swears to exact revenge for the Duchess.
● The play ends in an escalating chain of violence, as first the
Cardinal confesses his role in the murders to his mistress and then
murders her.
● Bosola then mistakenly kills a returning Antonio, thinking him to be
the Cardinal.

6. ● Bosola eventually succeeds in killing the Cardinal and then he and
Ferdinand kill each other in a brawl.
● The play ends with Antonio and the Duchess' eldest son taking his
place as heir to Malfi.

7. KEY INFORMATION of Daniel de Bosola
CHARACTER : Daniel de Bosola
SHOW : The Duchess of Malfi
GENDER : Male
AGE RANGE : Adult
ROLE SIZE : Supporting
TIME & PLACE : Italy, Seventeenth Century

8. The Short Summary of Daniel de Bosola
● Bosola is certainly a complex character painted in The Duchess of
Malfi by john webster.
● His full name is Daniel de Bosola.
● He is essentially a good man but he does not realise his own
goodness.
● In the play, he acts the role of a villain.
● He appears to be a villain and pitiless murderer.
● He wanted to become a man of rank and power. But circumstances
did not permit him to realize his ambition.

9. ● He is a profound scholar. He had once burnt the midnight oil to
achieve his aspirations. Instead of a scholar , Bosola feel in love
with Cardinal and become his tool.

10. ❖ Bosola plays a triple role in the play, ‘The Duchess
of Malfi’. He is a malcontent mediator, a tool villain
and an avenger. He is also a satirist. There is
ample evidence of his intelligent in the play.

11. ❖ Bosola becomes the tool villain of ferdinand. Now he
appears to be a perfect villain. He works as the spy of
Ferdinand. Nothing can be more dishonorable than the
work of spy. He knows it well. He sends secret information
to Ferdinand and betrays the secret of Duchess. He does
not hesitate to kill Cariol and the little kids of Duchess. By
mistake, he kills Antonio too. Thus he works as a villain in
the play.

12. ❖ But this is not real character of Bosola. Ferdinand
offers him gold when he employs him. Bosola refuses
to take it. Because he knows that Ferdinand is bribing
him to do something villainous. so he refuses to take it.
❖ Yet he takes bribe.He also takes dishonorable job
offered by Ferdinand. But he is not really a bad man.
Circumstances compel him to become. He has suffered
much from poverty . So he can not refuse a tempting
offer.

13. ❖ In the Duchess of Malfi, Bosola plays a role of spy and
murderer. But at the end of the play, he plays a role of
noble and avenger. So his role is a significant. He keeps
a link between Ferdinand and Duchess. He sends
message from Malfi to Rome. He arrests duchess and
brings her to Ferdinand. He is also responsible for the
death of Ferdinand and Cardinal. So he becomes the
symbol of the victory of Duchess.

14. From the above discussion, we can say
that Bosola is a complex character.

15. The End

16. Thank You