I am Duchess of Malfi still

I admire the Duchess. While she has the odds against her, is forced to have a secret life and family, she still remains in a position of control and power. The status of women during the Duchess' time was certainly one in which they kind of took a back seat to the men of society. The Duchess' brothers wanted to decide who she would marry, love, and how she was to live her life. Her independent, self-reliant attitude, while it may seem foolish and as though it caused her to ignore her duties as Duchess, I think gives reason to admire her strength as a character.
The fact that she didn't have a name is also representative of the way society viewed her, as she was simply seen as an implement of power and her position was all that people looked at-- ignoring her rights or abilities as an individual. However, while her namelessness serves the purpose of taking away her individuality, it also serves as a constant reminder to readers that she holds a position of power and that her role as Duchess comes before any personal aspects of her life (or at least that it should). It is so easy to get caught up in the story and to see her as a wife and mother and forget all about the fact that she is in such a high position of power, so to refer to her strictly as the Duchess is a subtle reminder that she is responsible for her country. She seems to have forgotten her duties, until the time when she says "I am Duchess of Malfi still". This is basically the first time that she is asserting her power, so it shows her strength to balance her personal life and to exert her political authority as well.