Webster, John : The Duchess of Malfi

The evils of greed and ambition overwhelm love, innocence, and the bonds of kinship in this dark tragedy, first presented c.1613. John Webster's great Jacobean drama concerns the disastrous marriage of a noblewoman and a commoner, a love match made in secret from the Duchess's fiendishly jealous brothers, who scheme to inherit her title and estates. The brothers plant a household spy, whose treachery inflames the mounting tension, which results in a truly horrifying climax. Often compared with Shakespeare because of his dynamic plots and poetic lyricism, Webster created radically experimental dramas that featured shifting perspectives and issued challenges to conventional moral judgments. This provocative, profoundly original work will be welcomed by students and teachers of drama and literature.