<Li> Silvio . A courtier . </Li> <Li> Pescara . A marquis, possibly Fernando d'Avalos . </Li> <Li> The Duchess . The protagonist, sister to Ferdinand and the Cardinal . At the beginning she is a widow whose brothers take every precaution to keep her from marriage, though later she secretly marries Antonio . Due to the marriage, her brothers arrange to have her strangled . She is described as having a sweet countenance and noble virtue, unlike her brothers . She is also witty and clever, helping her keep up with her brothers' banter, and has a tenderness and warmth which they lack . She has three children, two sons and a daughter by Antonio . (There is an inconsistency surrounding earlier children by her deceased husband, put down to a careless mistake by Webster .) Based on Giovanna d'Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi . </Li> <Li> Cariola . Duchess's waiting - woman and privy to her secrets . She witnesses the Duchess's wedding and delivers her children . She dies tragically by strangling following the murder of the Duchess and the youngest children . Her name plays on the Italian carriolo, meaning "trundle - bed", where personal servants would have slept . </Li>

Character of the duchess in duchess of malfi
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