Synopsis:
I.i The play opens with Leantio introducing his new bride to his mother. He has stolen her from a rich family in Venice and brought her home to Florence to live. Although Leantio and his mother are not wealthy, the new bride-Bianca-swears that she will be happy because she is rich in love. The mother is wary lest love give way to apathy in a young woman so highly born. Leantio has a strong physical attraction to Bianca.
I.ii Guardiano is in the last stages of negotiating with Fabritio to join his Ward and Fabritio's daughter Isabella. Ward is stupid but rich. Fabritio insists that Isabella will marry the boy. Livia, Fabritio's sister and Isabella's aunt, objects to the men selling off Isabella for gold without so much as asking the girl's opinion about the match with Ward.
Isabella is devoted to her Uncle Hippolito (Fabritio and Livia's other brother). They are always together. They enter, and Fabritio tells Isabella to put on her mask because she is about to be courted. The Ward comes in with his servant Sordido. These men are fools and act like children. They even enter carrying toys (a trapstick in their first appearance). They poke fun at the idea of marriage and leave.
Isabella is distraught at the idea of being matched with a rich young fool. Hippolito takes the opportunity to confess that he loves his niece. Isabella shuns her beloved uncle for suggesting even the hint of incest. She deems it better that they never see each other again.
I.iii Leantio is off to work-a trip that will keep him away for some five days. He is unhappy about leaving and finds it difficult to withstand the prayers of Bianca to come back and put off his trip for just one more day. At last he determines that he must go, but not before he has assured himself that his mother will keep Bianca indoors so no men may see her and lust after her. He makes his mother swear to keep Bianca a secret. The mother chastises Bianca for keeping Leantio from work, which is the only way he can hope to keep her in anything approaching comfort. While the women speak on their balcony, the St. Mark's parade passes before them. The Duke, in all his finery, passes in parade. Bianca believes that the Duke looked at her.
II.i finds Livia speaking with Hippolito. Hippolito tells his sister of his love for Isabella and of her rejection of that love. She hints that she might be able to assist her beloved brother in his quest. Isabella comes in just as Hippolito leaves. Livia listens as Isabella bemoans her fate to be married to such a loathsome creature as Ward-especially when she has made a vow to be true to her wedding bed. Livia says there is some good to be had. She tells Isabella that she need not obey Fabritio's order to marry Ward because Fabritio is not Isabella's real father.
Livia then tells the lie that will drive the tragedy: It seems that Isabella's mother slept with a famous Spaniard while Fabritio was away on business. Livia says she had sworn to keep it a secret, that the mother had confessed all on her deathbed and had made Livia promise never to tell anyone. But, owing to Isabella's dire predicament, Livia says she has forced herself to break the promise. Isabella need not marry against her will. She makes Isabella promise not to betray her mother's secret-especially not to Hippolito (in a clever maneuver intended to put him into Isabella's thoughts once she understands that she is no blood relation to him). In an aside we learn from Livia that the whole story is a lie.
Hippolito returns, and Isabella gives herself to him. She says the stupider her husband the better. A stupid husband will not suspect he is being cuckolded. This way they may keep off the appearance of sin. Hippolito, of course, believes that this is incest (which, in truth, it is). Isabella, however, believes that it is not incest. However, because she has sworn not to tell "the secret" she must keep up appearances. She cannot marry Hippolito because in the eyes of the world he is her uncle.
II.ii Guardiano tells Livia that the Duke has seen a young woman in a window (balcony?) that has fallen in love with her. Whoever can bring her to him and get them to bed together will win great preferment. Guardiano says he knows the house where the woman was seen. He was with the Duke in the parade when the Duke drew his attention to her. Livia says to have the mother invited over. She suspects that the girl is being keep hidden on purpose. Livia will plot to get the girl over to the palace as well and into the Duke's bed. It is her way of having fun, apparently.
While awaiting the arrival of the mother, Ward and Sordido enter (this time with a shuttlecock and battledore). Guardiano tells him to prepare to meet his prospective wife tomorrow. Ward and Sordido engage in bawdy, juvenile remarks about women. Sordido relates a poem about the qualities to be sought in a woman.
When the boys leave as the mother is shown in. Livia pretends to want to get to know the mother better. She invites her to stay for supper. When the mother balks, Livia pretends to take offense. The mother is finally forced to admit that she left a young woman at home. Livia sends for her at once.
In the meantime Livia and the mother sit to a game of chess. When Bianca arrives, Livia suggests that Guardiano escort the girl on a tour of the palace-and show her "the monument." Guardiano leads Bianca up to the balcony and leaves her there to the ravishments of the Duke.
Meanwhile Livia and the mother (who is unaware of the Duke's attentions to Bianca) engage in a brilliant double entendre over the chess game. The chess talk significantly (albeit unwittingly) comments upon the seduction occurring on the balcony.
Finally the Duke's advances win Bianca. The two go off together. The chess game full of its suggestive double meanings continues until Bianca-now the Duke's mistress-joins them. Bianca is pleased by her new station in life, but resents the panders that led her to sin. She says she hates Guardiano downright, and calls Livia a damned bawd (the mother never knows what has happened, and the imprecations are spoken outside of her hearing).
III.i finds the mother bemoaning the change in Bianca. She is no longer satisfied with her mean existence in her mother-in-law's house. Leantio returns after his five-day trip. He is expecting to be welcomed by the lusty bride he left. He is, of course, surprised by a cool reception.
A messenger comes from the Duke to invite Bianca to supper. Leantio pretends that he does not know what the messenger is talking about and insists there is no "Bianca" at the house. After the messenger leaves, the mother explains that the Duke must have known of Bianca's presence when he saw her during the parade. She does not tell her son about taking her to the palace. Leantio considers hiding Bianca in the secret place they had once hidden his father when he was wanted for manslaughter. Bianca refuses to be imprisoned. When she hears of the messenger's invitation she says she will go. The mother says she will go too. Leantio deplores the wiles of women. The messenger returns with news that Leantio is sent for. Leantio guesses he is to be punished for having stolen the girl from Venice.
III.ii Guardiano tells Ward what Isabella looks like. He tells him that she is almost always to be seen with her beloved Uncle Hippolito.
The Duke and his entourage, including the mother and Bianca, enter. Leantio enters before the Duke, as summoned, and sees the Duke whispering to Bianca. Leantio guesses that he has been cuckolded. The Duke gives Leantio a captaincy of the fort at Rouen (which pays less than his job as a factor, but has higher status). Leantio accepts and becomes a wittol. Livia becomes enamored of Leantio at first glance. Meanwhile Ward is making crude comments about Isabella-that she is so small he "shall scarece feel her!"
Leantio still feels badly about losing his wife.
Guardiano, in order to win the crown's approval of the intended marriage, presents Ward to the Duke. Fabritio tells the Duke of Isabella's virtues, which he has paid for at great expense. The Duke has Isabella sing for him. He wants to see Isabella and Ward dance together, but the Ward refuses to dance. The Duke suggests Isabella dance with Hippolito instead. Afterwards Ward dances with Isabella in a ridiculous attempt to imitate Hippolito.
After all the group leaves, Livia tries to woo Leantio. She soon wins him to her lover with promises of wealth enough to make Bianca jealous.
III.iii finds Guardiano introducing Isabella to Ward, who is again with Sordido. He leaves the kids alone to get acquainted and determine whether they want to marry. Sordido and Ward size her up, try to get her to laugh so they may see her teeth (as one judges horses); they sneak glances under her skirt to ensure she is not splay-footed. In short, they treat her like a piece of meat and talk about her the way Bianca was talked about in I.i between Leantio and the mother. Ward finally determines that he likes her well enough, and they determine to marry.
IV.i Leantio comes to taunt Bianca with his new position. They hurl invective at one another, jealous of each other's preferments. Leantio brags that he is loved by Lady Livia and shows Bianca a letter from his wealthy though aging mistress. When he leaves, Bianca complains to the Duke that Leantio is a bother to her. She tells the Duke about his affair with Livia.
The Duke plots to rid himself of the husband in his lover's triangle. He calls for Hippolito and inflames him with the tale of Livia's dishonor. The Duke tells Hippolito that his honor has been besmirched because Leantio openly flaunts his affair with Hippolito's sister, Livia. The plan works. Hippolito storms off looking for Leantio.
The Cardinal accosts his brother the Duke and upbraids him for living in sin with a strumpet. The Duke swears he will mend his ways and never lie with a strumpet again. When the Cardinal leaves the Duke soliloquizes that he will marry Bianca as soon as Hippolito makes her a widow. This, he believes, will wipe him free of the sin of adultery.
IV.ii Hippolito lies in wait for Leantio. They fight, and Leantio is slain. Guardiano, Livia, Ward, and Sordido enter. At first Livia is relieved to see that her brother is unhurt. But when she learns that Leantio has been killed, she calls for the officers to arrest him. She tells everyone about Hippolito's incestuous liaison with Isabella, which the newly married Ward takes rather badly, having been instantly cuckolded. The evidence is clear because Isabella is pregnant with Hippolito's child. Many harsh words are said.
Livia and Guardiano conspire to avenge themselves on the man who killed her lover and the woman who disgraced his son. They beg forgiveness from Hippolito and Isabella and ask them to participate in the masque they have planned for the Duke's wedding celebration. Everyone dissembles new amity and agree to participate.
IV.iii takes place at the wedding. The Cardinal rushes in to deplore the use of the church to cover sin. Both the Duke and Bianca say that they are repenting by their marriage, not covering sin. The Cardinal foresees nothing but lust burning itself out upon itself and leaves with an ominous warning to the couple.
V.i Guardiano plots with Ward how he is to spring the trap door when Hippolito is upon it. Guardiano will stamp his foot as a signal, and the Ward will drop Hippolito to his death. Guardiano has a fail-safe plan. If Ward misses his cue there are boys dressed as cupids who will shoot Hippolito with poisoned arrows as if it is part of the masque. Guardiano says no one will suspect murder at a festival.
V.ii The masque begins. The Duke, Bianca, Cardinal, Fabritio, et al. enter above on the balcony. In an aside we learn that Bianca mistrusts the Cardinal's motives. She believes he wants the throne for himself. She hints that a plan is in the offing to do away with her brother-in-law, the Cardinal. The Duke is given a synopsis of the masque's action. Almost at once the action is changed by the appearance of Hymen, Hebe, and Ganymede, who present the Duke and Cardinal with drink. (Little does anyone know that this is Bianca's plan to kill the Cardinal. His drink has been poisoned.) When the Duke comments on the oddity of the action having been changed, Bianca suggests that this is an antemasque.
The masque begins aright. Isabella, as nymph, and Guardiano and Hippolito, as lovelorn shepherds, enter. Isabella burns incense to Juno, played by Livia (who descends from the ceiling on a swing). Livia throws burning gold down onto Isabella and kills her. This surprises the Duke because the plot did not call for the nymph to faint. Hippolito discovers she has been killed and stomps his foot. The signal causes the trap to open prematurely. Guardiano falls through. This surprises the Duke as another departure from the plot. Livia calls to be let down, she feels sick and realizes that the incense she has been breathing is poisoned. This also surprises the Duke. Next, the cupids shoot Hippolito. Hippolito, feeling the poison, tells the Duke that he is dead and confesses his suspicions that they have all killed each other. The burning poison is too much for Hippolito and he runs himself onto a guard's sword.
All this time Bianca wonders why the poison has not taken effect on the Cardinal. The Duke swoons and falls shortly after having the other bodies removed from the stage. Bianca realizes that her plan has backfired. She sucks out the dead Duke's poisoned breath in a kiss, then drinks the remainder of his poisoned drink and expires. She dies realizing "the deadly snares / That women set for women." The Cardinal has the last word and bemoans the terrible state of the world where kings try to hold coeval reign with lust.
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Characterization:
In general these characters are not likeable. They are less ruined by fortune as they are by their own petty desires.
Of the characters who die, there is no tragic hero to be found here:
The Duke lusts after a married woman. He resorts to threats, bribes, and flattery to win Bianca. He kisses her for her wit on several (at least two) occasions, but never says anything about love. He has no scruples about paying off the husband of his mistress to keep him out of the way. Then he does not hesitate to kill the husband in order to marry the woman. He equivocates with his brother/spiritual advisor about his redemption. He exchanges murder for adultery after which he cannot seem to see that he has not absolved himself in the eyes of God.
Hippolito knows he is committing incest with his niece. He seems to find nothing wrong in the arrangement, even though he combines adultery with incest by sleeping with Isabella after she is married. He even gets a child by her. Yet his moral code will not tolerate his sister Livia having a lover. Her lover, Leantio, is not repugnant to Hippolito because of his relationship with Livia but rather because he is indiscrete about it. Hippolito does not blanch at killing Leantio-and never feels remorse at the act. He does say in V.ii.147-48 that all the tragedy springs from Leantio's death, but that is a realization, not remorse.
Guardiano has no scruples about "buying" Ward a bride. All his conversation with Fabritio indicates that he fully realizes Ward is a fool, but he dismisses that aspect of the match by couching the negotiations in mercantile terms. He is not above committing murder in the name of abstract honor. When he realizes Ward has been betrayed he immediately (within 30 lines, perhaps less) plots with Livia to murder Hippolito.
Even Leantio is unsympathetic, though he could have been quite likable. Of all the pawns in this chess game, he is in the weakest position. But Middleton chooses not to make him pitiful. Rather, he begins as a jealous husband who treats his pretty wife like a piece of property to be hidden away. He gives no regard to her happiness or comfort. His interest in her is almost exclusively sexual. Then the Duke who cuckolds him easily buys him off with a worthless title. He falls fairly easily into a spiteful alliance with Livia and allows himself to be a kept man in order to torment his estranged wife. He acts badly towards his wife by flaunting his new riches and bragging about his liaison with Livia. He, like Hippolito, does not balk at murder in the name of honor. Although he does not pick the fight with Hippolito, he is certainly prepared to kill Livia's brother.
Livia is wholly objectionable. She is a "hobby" pander and bawd. She leads both Bianca and Isabella into sinful assignations. She puts Bianca in a position for the Duke to rape her, and she lies to her own niece in order to create an incestuous liaison with her brother. This she does by off-handedly smearing the honor of Isabella's mother (Livia's sister-in-law, who is dead). Livia has no scruples about murdering her own niece in revenge for her lover.
Isabella, who could also be made sympathetic is wholly unsympathetic. She will not commit incest, but she does not mind a little adultery. She also does not mind killing her aunt.
Bianca is equivalent to Isabella. She begins as an ingenue of sorts, happy to live on love in her husband's mean house. The promise of riches and the flattery of the Duke soon seduce her. She becomes impudent to Guardiano and Livia, then to her mother-in-law, and finally to Leantio. She insulates herself entirely within the Duke's protection and uses her favored position to spit vitriol at the other characters. She shows not the least remorse at Leantio's death, the man who, four acts earlier, was her whole world. She does not pause long enough to make even a show of mourning, but rather rushes into marriage with the Duke. She has not a moment's hesitation in trying to poison her brother-in-law, who happens also to be the Cardinal and a man who does not deserve to die.
Of the characters who do not die:
Leantio's mother is also wholly unsympathetic. She starts with something like the correct intentions towards her son's will, but is soon tempted into inviting Bianca to the palace, thereby becoming an unwitting accomplice to the seduction of her daughter-in-law. She lies to her son about having been to the palace. At least she pretends ignorance of how the Duke knows about Bianca. She also raises no objections once it becomes obvious that Bianca is cuckolding her son.
Fabritio is as poor a father as Leantio's maternal parent is a mother. He literally sells his daughter Isabella to Ward, whom he knows to be simple, dull, and foolish, but whose wealth will set both his daughter and himself in good stead.
The Ward and Sordido are wholly unlikable, though funny. They have no respect for anyone, not even each other or even themselves. Ward goes so far as to say that he hopes Isabella will not want to see him naked because of his bad skin.
The Cardinal, who probably should be viewed as the voice of moral order, is not given enough stage time to be anything more than a character type. He enters in some four brief scenes towards the end of the play to castigate the sinfulness of his brother and seek for the salvation of his soul. But his long, droning lines do not endear him in any particular way. He approaches his duty to God in a workmanlike manner. His preachings go wholly unheeded, and he becomes a figure of ineffectual spiritual guidance. Even though he has the final lines in the play, and even though he is obviously next in line to the throne, his ineffectuality throughout his scenes goes a long way in demonstrating that the moral order is far from being restored in this dukedom.
Notes of Interest:
This play, though set in Italy, seems almost to ignore the Italian setting. It is a far cry from the fantasy Italy of Marston, full of dark plotting and prime Machiavellian movers. No one really plots in this play; they fall victims. The setting is also generic enough to give the feeling of not really being in any particular country. Or, if one must be chosen, it seems to be London in a Florentine disguise. The chess room is as much a drawing room of the London aristocracy as a parlor in a Baroque palace. It is almost as if this play is an amalgam of the earlier Italian tragedies and City Comedies.
To be certain this play savors much of the comic tradition. The killings in V.ii are far from horrific-they are so funny, in fact, that this play could as readily be termed a farce as a tragedy. Written, as it may have been, very near the time of Middleton's other great tragedy, The Changeling, WBW is at the opposite end of the dramatic spectrum as a tragedy can be. Where Changeling is horrific at its most tragic moments, WBW is comic, even humorous. It may be that Middleton was experimenting with the tragic genre, as he often experimented with female psychology and plotting in his other works.
One commentator, Leslie Thomson, has suggested that the Duke, Bianca, etc., enter onto the balcony and have the drinks handed them by actors standing on the main stage altar. They descend to the main platform when the deaths are discovered to be real. This poses problems. In regard to the poisoned drink, which also seems to find its way down onto the main platform for Bianca to drink, there is something about this stage that we do not know. This requires further investigation.
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