In a scene punctuated with dramatic irony, Alonzo, who is betrothed to Beatrice, is accompanied by De Flores on a tour of Vermandero’s castle:
ALONZO : Thou canst show me
The full strength of the castle?DE FLORES : That I can, sir.
ALONZO : I much desire it.
DE FLORES : And if the ways and straits
Of some of the passages be not too tedious for you,
I will assure you, worth your time and sight, my lord.ALONZO : Push, that shall be no hindrance.
DE FLORES : I’m your servant then:
’Tis now near dinner-time; ’gainst your lordship’s rising
I’ll have the keys about me.ALONZO : Thanks, kind De Flores.
DE FLORES [ aside ] : He’s safely thrust upon me beyond hopes.
Alonzo, who is trusting and somewhat gullible, has ignored his brother’s misgivings regarding his upcoming marriage to Beatrice. Believing De Flores to be nothing more than a helpful household servant, he requests a tour around the castle of his soon-to-be father-in-law. The audience, however, is aware that Alonzo’s request will likely prove fatal to him, as De Flores has promised to kill De Flores on behalf of Beatrice. The language used by Middleton and Rowley here emphasizes Alonzo’s ignorance. He refers to the villainous De Flores as “kind,” and De Flores, in turn, assumes the polite and obsequious tone of a loyal servant.
In a scene that exhibits dramatic irony, Beatrice offers to pay Diaphanta a generous sum of money to impersonate Beatrice and sleep with Alsemero in her place on their wedding night:
DIAPHANTA : I do not know how the world goes abroad
For faith or honesty, there’s both required in this. –
Madam, what say you to me, and stray no further?
I’ve a good mind, in troth, to earn your money.BEATRICE : Y’are too quick, I fear, to be a maid.
DIAPHANTA : How? Not a maid?
Nay, then you urge me, madam;
Your honourable self is not a truer
With all your fears upon you –BEATRICE [ aside ] : Bad enough then.
Diaphanta responds positively to Beatrice’s highly unusual request. Beatrice, however, must assure herself that Diaphanta is truly a “maid” or, in other words, a virgin. This is important to Beatrice because she expects Alsemero to “test” her virginity on their wedding night, but Beatrice herself is not a virgin, as she slept with De Flores after he threatened to confess to murdering Alonzo at her request.
Beatrice claims that a true “maid” would not respond so quickly and enthusiastically to the request. A stung Diaphanta responds that she is every bit as “honourable” as Beatrice. Beatrice, however, knows that she is not honorable at all, and she notes in an aside that this claim is “Bad enough” to disqualify Diaphanta from the job. This exchange exemplifies dramatic irony, as the audience understands something important that Diaphanta does not: that to be as “honourable” as the highly dishonorable Beatrice is little praise at all.
