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Simile
Explanation and Analysis—English Mastiffs:
In the opening of Act 4, Scene 1, Ferdinand questions Bosola about how the Duchess is faring, and Bosola uses a simile to describe her mood. The Duchess has been imprisoned by her brother and is separated from her husband. Her awareness of her own captivity has made her despondent, and Bosola communicates how she longs for the world beyond. However, Ferdinand is unsatisfied, as he believes that she still has an edge of disdain and is therefore resisting full captivity. His desire to completely alienate the Duchess from the world is exacerbated by this frustration. Bosola responds with a simile, saying:
'Tis so, and this restraint
Like English mastiffs grow fierce with tying,
Makes her too passionately apprehend
Those pleasures she’s kept from.
In this simile, Bosola compares the Duchess to a dog on a chain. Despite her limited ability to move around, he says, she has an awareness of what she’s missing out on in the world, and that keeps her disdainful. Her sense of her own imprisonment is like that of a dog who is restricted but still able to perceive the world around her. His comparison here is a significant one. Not only does it prompt Ferdinand to take further—and more torturous—action, it also showcases one of the underlying problems with how men treat the Duchess in the play. Even as he subtly advocates on her behalf, Bosola compares the Duchess to an animal. His dehumanization of her is ultimately reflected by Ferdinand’s actions. All of the men responsible for the Duchess’s fate engage in conversations that belittle and alienate her from her humanity.
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