Definition of Imagery
Key Examples in The Duchess of Malfi
After an old woman interrupts his conversation with Castruchio in Act 2, Scene 1, Bosola turns on her. He insults her appearance and uses imagery and descriptive language to berate her and make his point. The audience is able to infer, from the way that he’s speaking, that he is angry and deeply troubled. His rant is ultimately about pleasure and passion, and though it’s directed at the old woman and inspired by her appearance and her transgression on Bosola’s conversation, the audience knows that Bosola is thinking about the Duchess. Bosola’s use of imagery grounds his critique of the overly passionate in sensory, descriptive language. He says:
The lusty spring smells well, but drooping autumn tastes well