Previous
Chapter 11: The Duchess Lucrezia on Her Wedding Day
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Marriage Portrait, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Art, Voyeurism, and Control
Duality and Identity
Gender Roles, Male Violence, and Female Solidarity
Primal Freedom vs. Civilized Imprisonment
Destiny vs. Chance
Summary
Analysis
In the fortress in 1561, Lucrezia wakes to find Emilia tipping water into her mouth. The maid apologizes for her late arrival, saying that Baldassare—Alfonso’s advisor—ordered her and the other servants to stay behind at the castle. Confused, Lucrezia questions Emilia and learns that Baldassare rode out to the fortress before she slipped away. No one else knows Emilia is here. Lucrezia stops her from calling for the Duke or a doctor, telling Emilia that Alfonso poisoned her at last night’s dinner. Emilia does not want to believe this, but Lucrezia is insistent. Alfonso has brought her where there are no witnesses. The two women ponder what they will do.
Baldassare’s order that Emilia and the other servants stay behind suggests he knows of Alfonso’s plan to murder Lucrezia. The fact that no one but Lucrezia knows Emilia is at the fortress is her only advantage at this moment. It is worth noting that it is not difficult for Lucrezia to convince Emilia that Alfonso means to harm her, suggesting his violence is well-known, even among servants. Accepting this truth, Emilia aligns herself with Lucrezia without question, and Lucrezia is grateful for her show of solidarity.
Active
Themes
