The Duchess & Blanche DuBois

Both the Duchess of Malfi and Blanche DuBois stand as tragic heroines whose destruction stems from their assertion of desire and autonomy within rigidly patriarchal societies. The Duchess embodies joyful, unapologetic sexuality and political independence, choosing to remarry for love despite her brothers' prohibitions. Blanche represents fractured femininity—her sexuality simultaneously compulsive and shame-laden, her attempts at autonomy undermined by economic dependence and psychological trauma. Both women maintain linguistic dignity even as they face annihilation: the Duchess's defiant "I am Duchess of Malfi still" contrasts with Blanche's tragically ironic "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."

Webster's Jacobean heroine achieves martyrdom and posthumous vindication; Williams's mid-century protagonist suffers erasure through institutionalization. Their fates reveal how patriarchal violence evolved from spectacular public execution to insidious psychological invalidation across three centuries.