Betrayal provokes revenge in this play: Brachiano, Flamineo and Vittoria betray Camillo and Isabella, and end up getting murdered by Lodovico and Gasparo. Even Zanche, who betrays Vittoria by deciding to rob her and leave with "Mulinassar" (Francisco), dies in the finale. Dante (the great Italian poet) thought that betrayal was the absolute worst sin—at least, with other, non-betraying kinds of murder you're not abusing anyone's trust, in addition to killing them. But betrayal strikes at the very heart of life—if you can't trust the people who are closest to you, then who can you trust? But everyone in The White Devil would be well advised to distrust everyone else—and, for the most part, that's what they do.
Questions About Betrayal
- Is betrayal the worst sin or crime? Can you think of anything that's particularly worse?
- Who's betrayal of a former spouse is greater—Brachiano's or Vittoria's?
- Are there any cases in the play where betrayal, or a form of it, does not lead to punishment?
Chew on This
Betrayal is the worst crime or sin a person can commit, since it ruins the human relationships that form the basic network of life.
Eh, there are worse things than betrayal—what about genocide?