Supervacuo and Ambitioso

Character Analysis

These two sons of the Duchess from a previous marriage don't look like the greatest members of the Future Dukes of Italy Club, either. They're constantly scheming, and they try to get Lussurioso killed so they can inherit his status. They're also scheming against each other, making them even less charming.

They do try to rescue their brother Junior, so they have some family loyalty. And some of the situations they're in are genuinely distressing—we can see why they don't want it all over the tabloids that their mother is sleeping with their stepbrother, for instance. And it is tragically ironic when they accidentally get Junior killed and then have to face the consequences of their actions. But then, they wouldn't have gotten Junior killed if they hadn't been plotting to murder Lussurioso, so they were sort of asking for trouble.

In fact, these two are plotting and scheming right down to the moment in the last scene where they die stabbing each other in the back (5.3.60-70). They look and look and look for trouble, but ultimately, their biggest trouble comes from each other. Oops.