How we cite our quotes:
Quote #1
VINDICE
Duke: royal lecher; go, grey-haired adultery,
And thou his son, as impious steeped as he:
And thou his bastard true-begot in evil:
And thou his duchess that will do with devil.(1.1.1-4)
Vindice kicks off the play with a complaint about how lustful the Duke's family is. Mostly, the play proves him to be pretty accurate in his assessment. But is what he says about Spurio here fair? Sure, Spurio was born out of wedlock, but that's hardly his fault, even if, like Vindice, you consider sex outside marriage a sin.
Quote #2
LUSSURIOSO
Attend me: I am past my depth in lust,
And I must swim or drown. All my desires
Are levelled at a virgin not far from court,
To whom I have conveyed by messenger
Many waxed lines, full of my neatest spirit,
And jewels that were able to ravish her
Without the help of man; all which and more
She, foolish-chaste, sent back, the messengers,
Receiving frowns for answers.(1.3.98-106)
Gee, Lussurioso's not doing so well at proving Vindice wrong. He even calls himself "past my depth in lust," which is a fancy old-timey way of saying he's in over his head with longing. Since their society places such a premium on chastity and marriage, it seems pretty unfair for him to call Castiza "foolish-chaste." Maybe she's happy as a virgin; maybe she's just not into him; or maybe she just knows that her chastity is the only thing she really has going for her as a poor woman.
Quote #3
CASTIZA
Tell him my honour shall have a rich name,
When several harlots shall share his with shame.(2.1.41-42)
Go Castiza. There's some serious girl power here as Castiza refuses a sexual offer she doesn't want, even though Lussurioso is wealthy and powerful and she's poor. But should she have to consider society's expectations about her honor, or should she be able to make this decision based on her own beliefs and emotions?