The White Devil

by

John Webster

Giovanni Character Analysis

Giovanni is Brachiano and Isabella’s son and heir to his father’s dukedom. At the beginning of The White Devil, Giovanni is witty and selfless, and he charms both his father and Francisco with his desire to lead as a man of the people. Even as a young man, however, Giovanni recognizes that he needs an “example” to learn from. But no example ever comes—his only models of governance are corrupt and manipulative—and Giovanni struggles to figure out what kind of an adult he wants to be. By the end of the play, when Brachiano has died and Giovanni has taken over his dukedom, he has become “villainous” like his father.

Giovanni Quotes in The White Devil

The The White Devil quotes below are all either spoken by Giovanni or refer to Giovanni . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
External Virtue vs. Internal Truth Theme Icon
).
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

MONTICELSO:
It is a more direct and even way,
To train to virtue those of princely blood,
By examples than by precepts: if by examples,
Whom should he rather strive to imitate
Than his own father? be his pattern then,
Leave him a stock of virtue that may last,
Should fortune rend his sails, and split his mast.

Related Characters: Monticelso (speaker), Brachiano, Francisco/Mulinassar, Giovanni , Gasparo
Page Number: 33
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The White Devil LitChart as a printable PDF.
The White Devil PDF

Giovanni Quotes in The White Devil

The The White Devil quotes below are all either spoken by Giovanni or refer to Giovanni . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
External Virtue vs. Internal Truth Theme Icon
).
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

MONTICELSO:
It is a more direct and even way,
To train to virtue those of princely blood,
By examples than by precepts: if by examples,
Whom should he rather strive to imitate
Than his own father? be his pattern then,
Leave him a stock of virtue that may last,
Should fortune rend his sails, and split his mast.

Related Characters: Monticelso (speaker), Brachiano, Francisco/Mulinassar, Giovanni , Gasparo
Page Number: 33
Explanation and Analysis: