Alternate Reality of a Deranged Mind In his book Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason (1961), Foucault unravels the notion of madness in three phases. His suggestions can be perceived in the light of an alternate reality that separates those we term ‘mad’ from the normative categories of political citizens. In this paper, I shall attempt to posit the views of three scholars from different centuries to elaborate on the concept. Foucault creates the space for society to recognize madness as a social construct and a subjective category. He suggests that madness is a social dictate of the majority in society. The striking minority or individual who lives a different reality of moral/social conduct is simply cast out and declared deranged. John Webster’s eponymous protagonist in The Duchess of Malfi (1613-14) is a bold and rational woman, who is punished by her brothers for her unsanctioned sexual relationship with a steward of the royal court, Antonio. Ferdinand, her brother, attempts to drive her to madness by surrounding her with madmen in Act IV, Scene II. In this scene, Webster brilliantly reveals the facets of ‘madness’ along with the real intent of his Revenge Tragedy. He employs the comic tool of ‘Masques’ to bring out the serious problem of corruption in society, resonating with Shakespeare’s use of jesters in his Tragedies such as Macbeth, and Hamlet. Foucault’s ideas of the 20th century are represented in the madmen created by Webster in the 17th century. The confinement that the Duchess is subjected to is another concept explored by Foucault as a way of getting rid of the “undesirables”. There is a priest driven mad by rigid religious dictates and emerges in stark contrast to the Duchess’ brother and Machiavellian Cardinal. The Cardinal is the pinnacle of corruption in his sexual and moral conduct. He plots and murders, that too using a poisoned copy of the Holy Bible. A gentleman can’t keep up with society’s demands of proper conduct and is a madman because of his refusal to comply. However, his decision can be understood as a step towards different norms rather than madness. He wishes to live an alternate reality where one could have space for individuality instead of constantly being moulded into existing social dogmas. The tailor is another interesting ‘madman’. He is unable to keep up with changing fashions during the height of fashion in the Renaissance. Frequent change in fashion is symbolic of the fluctuations in human nature itself. It is also resonant of Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince (1513), in which the author advocates the need to adapt oneself to one’s changing environment. Furthermore, fashion was class exclusive; it demanded people to dress according to their class. Women of the age were expected to dress themselves in clothing that was appealing yet protective of their virginity, to uphold the Madonna-Whore complex, first identified by Sigmund Freud under the rubric of psychic impotence. The tailor’s mind perhaps constructed a simpler world without such unalterable precepts. He was unfit and powerless in his society and thus driven insane. Antonio and the Duchess themselves were misfits because of their virtue and uncharacteristic courage. They had no space in society and hence died painful deaths within the realm of the play. Webster’s intent seems to be to point out the malice and madness of the corrupt society that he creates. In his play, the madmen seem sane, and the functional authorities and citizens seem insane in their conduct. In the very first scene of the first act, Antonio illuminates the sycophancy and corruption of the Italian court (representing the English court) by contrasting it with the “Judicious King” of the French court. It was perhaps this very corruption along with guilt that drove Ferdinand mad, which is ironic because he wanted to drive the Duchess mad. The Duchess on the other hand proclaims, “nothing but noise, and folly / Can keep me in my right wits, whereas reason / And silence make me stark mad.” (4.2.5). One would think that it’s easy to drive a person mad by surrounding them with madmen, but in the Duchess’ reality, these madmen kept her in her right wits. She is the only character who maintains her dignity until her death as she states, “I am Duchess of Malfi still.” (4.2.142). Each character in the play seems to be living in a personal perception of reality until the inconsistencies begin to culminate in Act IV. Vol 1.1
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