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The Duchess of Malfi · Character

Madmen

A group of madmen brought to torment the imprisoned Duchess.

minor

Also known as Third Madman Greek, Second Madman, Third Madman

First appearance: scene i

Madmen's tie to Antonio Bologna is one of the pressures that moves The Duchess of Malfi—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

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With Antonio Bologna (social): Antonio encounters the madmen sent by Ferdinand to torment the duchess, representing the chaos and cruelty closing in on his family. With Antonio Bologna (social): Antonio encounters the…

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The fuller portrait of Madmen sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Madmen in scene i

Character Web

14 connections

A slice of how Madmen sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

ABAntonio BolognaDODuchess of MalfiFEFerdinandDDDaniel de BosolaDEDelioMAMadmen

Relationship types

  • Social
  • Other

Character groups

  • Central conspirators and victims
  • Protagonist

+9 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

SetupEscalationClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because it marks the psychological and emotional peak where Bosola overhears…

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Relationships

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Madmen in scene i
Who is Madmen in The Duchess of Malfi?