Friday, December 5, 2008

change in feelings

Act 5.1.49-50
Beatrice appears to have a "change of heart" towards De Flores. She is "forced to love" De Flores (hmm... as she was "forced" to sleep with him) because he carefully provides and cares for her honor. De Flores did not so carefully provide for her honor when he forcefully took it away! Did Beatrice even have a change of feelings or has she always felt this way? Perhaps after being forced to sleep with him, she has convinced herself (for her own sake) that she now loves him to compensate for her feelings of guilt. Then she wouldn't have to deal with the shame of lying to her husband and her own disgust of De Flores. As De Flores has pointed out, her murder has made her an equal to him. Together they decide to murder Diaphanta and Beatrice is in a cycle of sin. In addition, it's interesting to note the "ohs!" we hear from the closet. Is this an oh of pleasure or pain? The play has focused on the duality of pain vs. pleasure and I think it's most likely a mixture of both.

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