The White Devil | The White Devil and Old Wives’ Tales
In the following essay, Weil examines Webster’s treatment of ‘‘old wives’’ in The White Devil.
When Francisco de Medici begins to plan his revenge for the murder of his sister, Isabella, he closes his eyes and imagines her figure. He assumes that the ghost appearing before him is the creation of his own melancholy (‘the quick idea of my mind’). ‘Remove this object,’ he exclaims: Isabella’s ghost exits promptly and Francisco says, ‘So now ’tis ended, like an old wives’ story.’ His comment has two obvious functions: it epitomizes contempt for women within the society dominated by Francisco and his brother, Monticelso, and it reminds the audience of what The...
[The entire page is 5723 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Related Topics
Tell a friend about The White Devil at eNotes.
