Jankowski, Theodora A. “Defining/Confining the Duchess: Negotiating the Female Body in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi.” Studies in Philosophy 87.2 (1990): 221-245. Theodora Jankowski's article argues that despite the duchess's failure to create an "effective means by which she can rule as a sovereign woman," she challenges "the views of Jacobean society" (Jankowski 222) regarding the representation of the female body and sexuality. The contradictions in the notion of the female sovereign are explored in how the Duchess is presented using her "natural body and body politic" (222). Jankowski points out that instead of using the power potential of her body, the Duchess attempts to separate her natural body from her political one and, in turn, separates her public life from her private one. By keeping her second marriage and children private, she creates a triple position of wife, mother, and ruler, and thus becomes a threatening figure, especially to her brother Ferdinand who sees her private life as unacceptable and overly sexual. Jankowski explores the Duchess's journey from sovereign, wife and mother to suffering martyr. He concludes that, although the Duchess refuses to unite her natural body and her body politic, the nature of her marriage is revolutionary and challenges social mores and powerfully foregrounds her character in its subversive ideology (244) . This source seems highly credible because of its extensive use of quoted material and consideration of historical context. She references enough evidence to support her somewhat modern feminist argument by using sources that explore women's authority during this era, as well as referencing other scholars' perspectives on the issue. Interestingly, both Erin E......mid article......ay spend a lot of time exploring the philosophies of the time, as well as the generalities of the maternal nature of the pregnant and female body in a historical context, moving away sometimes from the literature in question. Although Ray references source material and other scholarship, support for his analysis is sometimes lacking, perhaps due to the generalities he states. As I said, it's hard to disagree with Sid Ray's article. The maternal and pregnant Duchess challenges male authority, often claiming authority over her personal life by opposing the wishes of Ferdinand and the Cardinal. By speaking in depth about the pregnant female body, Ray somewhat ignores the fact that the Duchess's pregnant body is often disguised or hidden behind the scenes in her private life with Antonio, rather than in her public life as the leading authority of the Duchy of Malfi..