Like Tim, I am interested in the representation of children in this play. At 1.2.280-2, Cornelia bemoans them: "See the curse of children! In life they keep us frequently in tears, And in the cold grave leave us pale in fears." Likewise, Bracciano at 2.1.192 curses his "issue." What are we to make of this negative view of offspring, particularly in light of who is being cursed by whom - the "good" Cornelia dismayed over her "bad" children, and the "bad" Bracciano over the "good" Giovanni. How does this relate to the role of children in the city comedies with their obvious connections to inheritance and wealth?
Dolliomore discusses how Vittoria "rebels against her subordination as a woman" and later notes that "in Jacobean drama we find not a triumphant emancipation of women but at best an indication of the extent of their oppression." I'm wondering then how to read Vittoria's apparent acceptance of Bracciano after his jealous accusations. Is this simply a dramatic plot device, or rather a way to undermine her episodic transcendence of the limitations of her gender?
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