Duchess (of Malfi) (eBook)

Woman   thank you

She takes the microphone into her hand.

She takes a breath, she is about to sing.

A guitar strums a note.

She stops, she looks around.

The lights change around her. A drum gently joins in.

She starts to sing. It’s a song that feels familiar – stand nearer, breathe deeper, it’s the heat of night … talk longer, move slower, hold me tight …

She is just starting to find her confidence, to enjoy the song, when the world changes. The sides of the stage seem to close in on her.

Two men come on to the stage.

Whatever that was, it had the feeling of a dream.

Ferdinand   sister

Cardinal   we wish to speak to you –

She looks at them.

Duchess   when did you arrive?

Cardinal   you are a widow now

Duchess   yes

Cardinal   and a duchess, and of course royalty

Ferdinand   high blood, respected

Duchess   we all are

Cardinal   and no doubt you’re thinking your mourning is behind you but –

Ferdinand   a word of caution

Cardinal   let’s not let good looks, eloquence and sweet-talking

Ferdinand   turn our heads

She looks at her brothers, not sure she is following.

Duchess   my head has not turned –?

Cardinal   because people that dally around, we always think –

Duchess   dally around?

Ferdinand   marry again

Cardinal   it’s like they are soiled goods, no? Their livers spotted

Ferdinand   over-used

Cardinal   you are a jewel of utter beauty, of course, but –

jewels actually lose their value when they’ve been bought and sold

Ferdinand   yes, to pass through many hands produces a sort of tarnishing

Duchess   don’t diamonds gain value that way?

Ferdinand   but that means whores would be precious –

Duchess   I’m not thinking about marrying again

so if that’s your worry –

Cardinal   a lot of widows say that but, after a month or two, you seem changed already –

Duchess   I’m exactly the same

Cardinal   what we mean is, you live in comfort here, don’t you? In the court, there is a kind of honey dew, our family has status and you are attractive

Ferdinand   men will come with open faces and say anything to get in your –

Cardinal   watch out, dear sister! It could be poison –

Ferdinand   two-faced swine are more like witches in disguise

Cardinal   and yes the devil lurks beneath their skins.

Duchess   this is such wise counsel –

Ferdinand   oh sarcasm, yes, very witty

Cardinal   and you can throw us off but in the end

everything you do, even your most private thoughts

Ferdinand   some weddings are said to be executed rather than celebrated

Cardinal   the marriage night an entrance to some prison

Ferdinand   and will the pleasure

Cardinal   the carnal pleasure

Ferdinand   seem so sweet after the domestic dungeon has shut its doors?

The Duchess looks at them.

She puts her tea down.

She looks at them again.

She laughs a bit.

Ferdinand   what are you doing?

She laughs a bit more.

Cardinal   stop that. She laughs harder.

Duchess   I’m sorry it is just –

She carries on laughing. Then she really laughs.

Ferdinand   you’re an insult, you know that

She continues to laugh.

Cardinal   oh please just stop it.

She stops it.

She picks up a teacup and laughs even more into it.

Ferdinand   I told you she’d be like this

Cardinal   sister, you have to listen to us –

Ferdinand   look we brought you something

Cardinal   we know officially you no longer need to wear black

but we thought –

They show her the dress. Grey and drab.

She looks at it.

She laughs even harder.

can you stop her?

Ferdinand   can you suggest how?

She laughs again.

They put the dress down.

The Cardinal catches her by the hand.

Cardinal   sister, please, you are the closest thing we have. And we are worried.

Duchess   don’t be worried

Cardinal   we used to feel we knew you

Duchess   I was a mouse

Ferdinand   you were who you had always been

Duchess   in a cage

Cardinal   we were in Naples, they’d heard of you there

Ferdinand   in the square, sitting, we heard these men talking

Duchess   good

Cardinal   how can you say that, they knew we were nearby and still they were going on –

Duchess   I’m not afraid of people talking about me

Ferdinand   you don’t want to know what they were saying?

Duchess   was it nice things?