the reasoning why the story continues after the Duchess dies

Throughout the play Ferdinand makes numerous references to his incestuous desires towards his sister, the Duchess of Malfi. he calls her a "lusty widow" (I, ii) which is rather strange to call your sister that. This is the early signs that Ferdinand has an incestuous love for the Duchess. When she dies Ferdinand plots to kill Antonio after she is dead. Not while she is alive, but after she dies. This is the reasoning why the story continues after the title character dies. It displays Ferdinand's incestuous love towards his sister. It's important to understand that he "loves" his sister so much that he wouldn't kill her lover while she is alive, but he'd kill Antonio out of jealousy when she is dead. It's almost as if he is respecting her, even though it's twisted and disgusting.

Duchess of Malfi: Belief in Faith

The Cardinal is one of the main characters of the Duchess of Malfi. The Cardinal is one of the highest ranks in the catholic Church. Throughout the play, the Cardinal, who is a Catholic, doesn't make any references to God whatsoever. When ever trouble arouses he doesn't rely on God for anything. There is no prayer, no asking for forgiveness. Nothing. I don't really know where I'm going with this, but I do find this rather interesting. And personally I'm not so sure to why this is the way it is. Just something I've noticed.

Hamlet - Metaphor of Serpent

"A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark is forged process of my death rankly abus'd." (1.5, 773-775). This is Hamlet's father's Ghost telling Hamlet about Claudius killing him. He compares Claudius to a snake. In the bible the serpent represents the Devil when trying to tempt Adam and Eve. The snake is known for it's craftyness, and is able to carry out his devious schemes. By comparing Claudius to a serpent, the Hamlet's Father's Ghost is showing Claudius' manipulative evil that consumes him. The death of Hamlet's father is strikingly similar to the garden of Eden. Hamlet's father is killed by poison into his ear. Where in the garden of Eden, the serpent pours temptation into Adam and Eve's ears and they are banned from the perfect garden, their own, special paradise. The death of Hamlet's father destroys Hamlet's so called "perfect life" and his life is a muck when his mother marries Claudius. The serpent represents both Claudius' manipulative evil spirit and intentions, and Hamlet's life edging closer to destruction.

Hamlet - Metaphor of Unweeded Garden

At the beginning of the play, Hamlet is being somewhat "emo" and is very remorse that his father has died. Hamlet depressingly proclaims that his life is "an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely" (1.2, 135-137). This represents how Hamlet's life is slowly but surely heading towards and evil for undesirable circumstances. After his father dies, Gertrude immediately married Claudio, without any time for remorse. This also shows the outcome result of Hamlet's rage towards his mother and new father (uncle). His life before the event is compared to the "unweeded garden" and how it grows from seeds, and the evil passing through it is the "rank and gross" that possesses the garden. Also that after being fueled with rage to the point of a deteriorated end. This also connects to my previous post that deals with Hamlet's realization about how death is inevitable, and he is unable to escape it. The weed reveal Hamlet's anger will only lead him to his tragic end. He will be nothing more than rank and gross

Metaphor in Hamlet: The Inevitability of Death

In Act V, Hamlet discovers Yorick's skull, and is fixated on the skull. He tells the skull, “get you to my lady’s chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favor she must come” (V.i.178–179). The paint is painted on the skull and the paint is something that must come. This reveals that no one can avoid death. He also says “Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft,” (V.i.174–175). This indicates his fascination with the physical consequences of death. This is one of many of Hamlet's comments about death and it's decay. This shows that everyone, kings, jesters, and even Hamlet will die and become ash one day. This is a foreshadowing of Hamlet, Ophelia, and the Queen's fate as well.

the use of "the tree of life" and "well of Life" in the "Faerie Queen"

The Tree of life and Well of life both make Red Cross stronger as he is battling a dragon. each time he leaves from them, he has a replenished strength, make enables him to fight, and eventually beat the dragon.

Red Cross is supposed to be a representation of England. When fighting the Dragon, a hot piece of coal falls under Red Cross's armor, burning him, and making his armor heat up like a oven. This piece of hot coal shows that something so little can cause a great impact over England.

The Dragon is the opposing force against England, which can easily represent satan, or the devil. Each time Red Cross falls into the well, of into the tree, they restore him. These both represent the Christ figure, and how he saves us from sin.

What spencer is saying with this battle is to show that if England has Christ, and the true church, they are unstoppable against Satan, and Sin.

dwarf's symbolism in "The Faerie Queen"

In "The Faerie Queen" it mentions that a Dwarf was carrying Una's bags, it seems weird that a dwarf would carry the bags of Una because we are in a magical fantasy, and we have Una, a fair maiden, who represents the "True Church", and the dynamic hero, Red Cross, who represents England, and then we have a dwarf. To me, it somewhat takes some of the "magic" and beauty that Una possess.

For the dwarf's symbolism, would have to connect with Una mostly. He is carrying her bags, and she represents the true church. So whatever the Dwarf really is, he has to connect to Una.

When i think of a dwarf i think of a short character who has a long beard. They are wise in their craftsmanship, and have done this for years. Their is always long which seems to be a representation of their knowledge of their craftsmanship. With this image, I feel as if the dwarf in this scene is to represent the community that holds the church together.

If Una is supposed to represent the one true church, behind her, the church, should be a strong community that can help build their church, making it strong, and unstoppable with other forces that oppose it. this illustrates a contrast with Odessa, who represents the catholic church, and how Una's church, has a strong community or force behind her, that makes them unstoppable.