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The "Duchess of Malfi" Code Trivia Quiz

John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi" is a wild bloodbath of a Jacobean tragedy. Enjoy these questions about the play and crack the code of these shifting motivations and vicious acts.

A multiple-choice quiz by merylfederman. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
merylfederman

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
361,861

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
441

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 152 (6/10), Guest 86 (9/10), Guest 172 (9/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The Duchess of the title kicks off the action by marrying Antonio, a commoner, but why exactly is this a major inciting incident, again? Hint

She is currently married

Her brothers have forbidden her remarriage

She is too young to marry

The commoner is a villain waiting to betray her

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. The intrigue isn't about to stop there - the Duchess' secret marriage to a commoner goes undetected for a long time, despite the efforts of her twin brother. Who is her twin brother who employs a cranky scholar to be his spy in his sister's house? Hint

Pescara

Ferdinand

Malateste

Delio

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. The Duchess' marriage is discovered by which man, who picks up a letter dropped by the otherwise occupied Antonio, and later hears from the Duchess who the guilty husband is? Hint

Cariola

Delio

Bosola

Roderigo

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. The Duchess' second brother is which sinister, adulterous murderer who is the only one to wield poison in this play? Hint

Malateste

The Cardinal

The Marquess

Castruccio

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Ferdinand and the Cardinal eventually lead a mission to separate their sister the Duchess from her husband, and succeed in capturing her. When she is imprisoned, what do they tell her to break her spirit? Hint

She has been sentenced by law to life in prison

She has been excommunicated for her illegal marriage

Her maid Cariola has betrayed her

Her husband and children were killed

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. As if that lie weren't enough, Ferdinand installs a group of which people near his sister, to keep her on edge? Hint

Drunkards

Madmen

Criminals

Priests

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Which foolish count and soldier is the man who the Cardinal and Ferdinand decide could be the Duchess' next legitimate husband? Hint

Alonso

Pescara

Malateste

Silvio

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. The Cardinal poisons his mistress Julia for her romantic and political betrayal, but in a highly unusual way. What unusual object does he have her kiss, thereby killing her? Hint

A fake hand

A Bible

A sword hilt

A sword blade

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. The falling action of this play features a severely mentally ill Ferdinand. What does he believe he has turned into, due to his cruel crimes? Hint

A devil

A vampire

A werewolf

A ghost

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. The literally dark night of the finale features many murders and accidental deaths. Which is NOT a death from the bloodsoaked final chapter? Hint

Ferdinand kills Bosola

Bosola kills the Cardinal

The Cardinal kills Antonio

Bosola kills Ferdinand

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 15 2024 : Guest 152: 6/10
Nov 25 2024 : Guest 86: 9/10
Nov 18 2024 : Guest 172: 9/10
Nov 11 2024 : Guest 76: 9/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Duchess of the title kicks off the action by marrying Antonio, a commoner, but why exactly is this a major inciting incident, again?

Answer: Her brothers have forbidden her remarriage

The Duchess marries Antonio over her brother's strict express ban on her remarrying. Her brothers' motivations for banning her marriage are several and all quite terrifying.

Answer: Ferdinand

Ferdinand is a wildly disturbed man whose obsession with his sister's sex life is ... troubling, to say the least, and in places explicitly drawn as incestuous as well as overbearing. He determines to undermine his sister's agency and find out what exactly is rotten in the state of his twin's palace.

3. The Duchess' marriage is discovered by which man, who picks up a letter dropped by the otherwise occupied Antonio, and later hears from the Duchess who the guilty husband is?

Answer: Bosola

Bosola is Ferdinand's lackey, who hopes for reward by spying on the Duchess. He is sharply contemptuous of the Duchess' low marriage once he discovers it. He also immediately turns this information over to the wild Ferdinand.

4. The Duchess' second brother is which sinister, adulterous murderer who is the only one to wield poison in this play?

Answer: The Cardinal

The Cardinal is carrying on an affair with Julia, and his hypocrisy regarding sexual morality is staggering. He, however, manages to keep his head far more than Ferdinand does.

Answer: Her husband and children were killed

Ferdinand creates effigies of Antonio and the three children, convincing the Duchess that they are the real bodies. She is then distraught and prepared for death.

6. As if that lie weren't enough, Ferdinand installs a group of which people near his sister, to keep her on edge?

Answer: Madmen

The madmen are put near the Duchess by the cruel Ferdinand, and they proceed to "entertain" the Duchess and her maid Cariola. The Duchess claims that since her life became mad, only madness can actually help her, while proper wit would drive her mad.

7. Which foolish count and soldier is the man who the Cardinal and Ferdinand decide could be the Duchess' next legitimate husband?

Answer: Malateste

Count Malateste, denigrated by the testimony of Delio and Silvio, is a cowardly and generally foolish man, contrasted with his ally Pescara who is considered noble and brave. Of course, the Cardinal and Ferdinand would only pick someone terrible to marry their sister.

8. The Cardinal poisons his mistress Julia for her romantic and political betrayal, but in a highly unusual way. What unusual object does he have her kiss, thereby killing her?

Answer: A Bible

The Cardinal tries to get Julia to repent for her treachery, telling her to kiss the poisoned Bible. He is already tired of her, and now fears the information she has been given about his crimes, so he kills her in the presence of Bosola.

9. The falling action of this play features a severely mentally ill Ferdinand. What does he believe he has turned into, due to his cruel crimes?

Answer: A werewolf

Ferdinand suffers lycanthropia, where he thinks he has turned into a werewolf, and strays out at night in a confused state. The Cardinal fears that his unbalanced brother will give away their secrets, and tries to conceal him.

10. The literally dark night of the finale features many murders and accidental deaths. Which is NOT a death from the bloodsoaked final chapter?

Answer: The Cardinal kills Antonio

The sequence of deaths is as follows: Bosola kills Antonio by accident, he then fatally attacks the Cardinal and a servant, is mortally wounded by Ferdinand, and then kills Ferdinand as well before dying. Delio, Antonio's friend, then enters with Antonio's oldest son.

Source: Author merylfederman

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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