In the Jacobean age tragedy mostly degenerated into melodrama. A melodrama lacks in subtlety and depth of characterization, and the dramatist depends for his effects on the exploitation of crude physical horrors. There is much in John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi that is merely melodramatic and sensational, lurid and gruesome. AllContinue Reading
Often ranked second only to Shakespeare among Jacobean tragedians, Webster is the author of two major works, The White Devil (1612) and The Duchess of Malfi (1614), which are more frequently revived on stage than any plays of the period other than Shakespeare’s. Webster’s tragedies, while praised for their poetic language by some commentators,Continue Reading
The Duchess of Malfi, written by John Webster around 1612–1613, is a quintessential Jacobean tragedy renowned for its dark tone, psychological depth, and intricate exploration of power, corruption, and identity. Set in the court of Malfi in southern Italy, the play centers on the widowed Duchess who secretly marries herContinue Reading
John Webster (c. 1580 – c. 1634) was a significant Jacobean dramatist best known for his dark and complex tragedies. He flourished during the early 17th century, a period marked by political uncertainty and moral anxiety, which deeply influenced his writing. Webster’s most acclaimed plays, The Duchess of Malfi andContinue Reading
