53 pages • 1-hour read
The White Devil
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Act IIChapter Summaries & Analyses
Act II, Scene 1 Summary
Act 2 begins in a villa owned by the Duke of Florence, Francisco de Medici. Francisco is also brother to Isabella, who stands beside him. They are joined by Cardinal Monticelso, a soldier named Marcello, Isabella’s son Giovanni, and Giovanni’s page, Jaques the Moor.
Isabella has recently returned to Rome. Francisco asks whether she has seen Bracciano. When she reveals that she has not, he jokes that Camillo should burn down his house so as to destroy the lecherous people who surround him. Francisco has promised a horse and armor to his nephew, Giovanni, and Giovanni now reminds his uncle of this. Francisco assures Giovanni that he will get his gifts. Marcello announces that Bracciano has returned to Rome, and Isabella desperately asks Francisco to be pleasant to Bracciano. She leaves, then Francisco orders the other characters to follow her, save for Monticelso. Bracciano enters, and at Francisco’s request, Monticelso criticizes Bracciano for his salacious affair when he should be fulfilling his “princely” obligations as a Duke. He also claim s that Bracciano’s immorality casts the entire nobility in a poor light. Francisco joins the criticism, labeling Vittoria a “strumpet” and threatening Bracciano with war if he does not deal with the situation. Bracciano bristles at their demands. He believes that he would win a war against Francisco. Francisco suggests that perhaps Bracciano will only realize the truth about Vittoria when he contracts a venereal disease from her.
Giovanni enters, now dressed entirely in armor. Monticelso uses Giovanni as an example of why Bracciano needs to be a good role model. Giovanni, arming himself, explains how he would place himself at the head of his army to inspire his men. His earnestness prompts Francisco and Bracciano to set aside their differences for the time being.
Isabella returns just as Monticelso, Giovanni, and Francisco leave. Bracciano praises Isabella’s health, and she explains that she came to Rome in such a hurry due to a matter of religious “devotion.” What Bracciano takes to mean her piety, however, actually refers to her suspicions about his infidelity. When she says that she will pray for his sins, Bracciano becomes angry. He orders her out, but she asks for a kiss. She denies that she is jealous, but as she moves to kiss him, he moves away due to her bad breath. Bracciano accuses his wife of conspiring against him and of having an affair with “some amorous gallant here in Rome” (II.i.178). While Isabella stridently defends her love for her husband, Bracciano curses Francisco, his marriage, and his son. He demands a divorce from Isabella due to her supposed infidelity. With him, Isabella says, she will soon die and go to heaven. However, she offers to take the blame for the divorce if he admits to his infidelity. Bracciano would rather people believe that he cheated on Isabella than that she cheated on him.
Monticelso, Marcello, Francisco, and Flaminio return. Isabella prepares the divorce and curses Vittoria. Under the watchful eyes of the men, she behaves like a stereotypical jealous wife. Francisco is surprised to hear her speak out the same words with which Bracciano tried to divorce her. Francisco is so surprised that he suggests that Isabella deserved to be cuckolded. In response, Isabella declares her intentions to leave for Padua. In spite of Francisco’s protests, Bracciano approves. Isabella privately mourns the end of her marriage and feels that her “poor heart” is broken.
Camillo enters. With Francisco distracted, Flaminio and Bracciano hatch a plot to kill both Camillo and Isabella. Flaminio introduces Doctor Julio, a criminal who will gladly help them to administer poison to Isabella once she is in Padua. They can also kill Camillo and make his death look like an accident. They leave, pleased with their plan.
Monticelso tells Camillo that someone has thrown a drawing at him. The drawing portrays a weeping stag without horns and includes a caption, hinting that Camillo is a cuckold. Monticelso believes that this drawing is a sign that Vittoria has cheated on her husband. Francisco launches into the story of the marriage of Phoebus, god of the sun. The moral of the story is that Phoebus’s progeny would also be suns, which would make life on earth unbearably hot. He warns Camillo that Vittoria should not have children and claims that Camillo would be better served by leaving Rome to fight the pirates plaguing the city. Camillo is concerned that Vittoria’s adultery will only get worse in his absence, but Monticelso promises to watch over her.
After Marcello and Camillo leave, Monticelso and Francisco admit that they have sent Camillo away in order to test Bracciano. Monticelso reveals that the leader of the pirates is actually Lodovico, who is currently in Padua and plans to appeal directly to Isabella for a “quick repeal from banishment” (II.i.382). Monticelso knows that he is tricking his nephew, Camillo, but he feels that hurting Camillo is a small price to pay for being able to punish the slights against the man.
Act II, Scene 2 Summary
Late at night, Bracciano speaks to a conjurer. Bracciano wants the conjurer to give him information about his murderous plans. The conjurer does not like being known as a “necromancer” but will do as Bracciano asks. Bracciano watches as—on the other side of the stage—a mute pantomime unfolds. In the pantomime, Doctor Julio and his associate, Christophero, sneak into Isabella’s bedchamber. When they pull aside a curtain, they reveal a portrait of Bracciano. Wearing protective gear, they place poison on the lips of the portrait, then exit. Isabella enters the bedchamber, accompanied by Lodovico, Giovanni, Isabella’s attendant Guid-Antonio, and others. Isabella prays in front of the portrait, then kisses it three times. She collapses, dead.
This vision pleases Bracciano. The conjurer explains that Doctor Julio devised the plan to take advantage of the fact that Isabella kisses the portrait each night. Bracciano does not understand why Lodovico is present. The conjurer says that Lodovico dotes on Isabella. On the other side of the stage, another mute pantomime is conjured. This time, Camillo, Flaminio, Marcello and several captains enter. They mill around until a vaulting-horse is brought, whereupon Flaminio and Camillo are left alone. Flaminio and Camillo undress and prepare to vault. Before Camillo can vault, however, Flaminio grabs him and snaps his neck. Flaminio poses Camillo’s dead body to suggest that an accident has occurred, then calls for help. Marcello, Francisco, and Monticelso run in. Flaminio and Marcello are apprehended, with Vittoria seemingly to follow. Bracciano gives his thanks to the conjurer. He pays the man, who cryptically warns him that “great men do great good, or else great harm” (II.ii.56).
Act II Analysis
In many ways, Bracciano demonstrates The Dangers of Succumbing to Emotions, for although his power and influence often protect him from the natural consequences of his rash actions, his behavior is noted by his peers, who now begin to take subtle action against him. Most notably, Francisco de’ Medici is one of the few characters whose social standing and wealth places him on par with Bracciano, and he therefore has a much greater latitude to act than characters like Camillo. Recognizing that his social power confers a similar level of responsibility upon him, Francisco tries to intervene, when Bracciano’s immorality threatens to become untenable. Although the affair between Vittoria and Bracciano is public knowledge, the situation can be remedied if Bracciano simply returns to Isabella. This dynamic reflects the societal acceptance of Performative Virtue as a Mask for Vice, for as with so many moral indiscretions in Rome, Bracciano’s infidelity can be ignored and the status quo can continue if a few nods to propriety are observed.
Thus, knowing that men like Bracciano are not beholden to any formal punishment, Francisco appeals to Bracciano’s better nature, framing his suggestion in terms of duty in the hopes that Bracciano might change his behavior. However, the unfolding drama indicates that Francisco’s understanding of Bracciano’s sense of duty is tragically naïve. Francisco frames his suggestion by appealing to Bracciano’s duties as a duke, suggesting that his subjects will suffer because of Bracciano’s lust. Francisco reasons that if Bracciano continues to indulge in flagrantly immoral acts, he will threaten the delicate balance of the social order. Francisco’s argument is based upon the common knowledge that Bracciano’s power as a duke is derived from his wealth and his dominion over his subjects; it therefore follows that if he should place his subjects in danger, he will jeopardize the very source of his own power. Francisco makes this connection explicit, noting that Bracciano has ignored the raids by pirates on his people because he has been pursuing Vittoria. In this case, because Bracciano has failed to see The Dangers of Succumbing to Emotion and has become too involved in his illicit affair, he has failed to protect his people. His immorality therefore breaks the social contract, and he shows no remorse over his behavior. For this reason, Francisco is forced to take more drastic action in order to preserve his own power base.
While Bracciano and Vittoria are indulging their immoral lust, Isabella and Camillo emerge as a source of comic relief amidst the weightier drama. Specifically, Flaminio routinely tricks the fusty and naïve Camillo into ignoring his own wife’s affair, even though it is happening under his own roof. However, this level of naiveté is not always used as a comedic device. Because Camillo falsely believes that Flaminio, as his brother-in-law, has his best interests at heart, he never suspects that Flaminio plans to murder him on Bracciano’s orders. Likewise, because is so naïvely devoted to Bracciano that she kisses his portrait each night, she unwittingly poisons herself with this act of faithfulness, and the physical means of her murder becomes a metaphor for the devastating effects of infidelity. Thus, naiveté places both Isabella and Camillo in mortal danger, as they fail to discern Flaminio’s lies or the flaws in Bracciano’s character.
The sly methods by which Camillo and Isabella are murdered also emphasizes Bracciano’s misuse of power, as well as illustrating the fact that society often shields the rich from the consequences of their actions. Webster’s strategic use of stagecraft emphasizes this disconnect, for when Bracciano visits the conjurer, he enjoys a detached, magical glimpse of the two murders that he has set in motion. The distance is key; he can pay people to do his dirty deeds while physically removing himself from the proximity of the actual crime. Bracciano involves many people in his murderous plot so that he does not have to kill anyone himself, not realizing or caring that each new person he involves becomes another potential witness in a theoretical trial. The Corruptive Effects of Ambition override his good sense, and he enlists many accomplices because he does not believe that he will ever be made to answer for his crimes. Given the pious Christian mindset of Webster’s audiences, the conjurer’s witchcraft is designed to indicate that Bracciano has crossed yet another moral boundary and fears neither mundane nor supernatural repercussions for his actions.
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