The Duchess of Malfi Summary
John Webster

The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster John Webster was born in London around 1578, the son of a cart-maker. Probably he was educated at the Merchant Taylors School, and certainly he received legal t... Read more

Biography EssayDespite his seminal importance in Jacobean drama (most critics rank him as second only to William Shakespeare as a tragedian), very little was known about John Webster's life until rece... Read more

Despite his seminal importance in Jacobean drama (most critics rank him as second only to Shakespeare as a tragedian), very little was known about John Webster's life until recently. However, the rese... Read more

In the following essay, Bradbrook focuses on the contemporary context of The Duchess of Malfi to interpret the drama, including the original Jacobean production and the source story for the play. She ... Read more

In this essay, Oakes interprets the Duchess's struggles with identity as a function of the role of the hero, who must not have a private life. Oakes places the Duchess's behavior as a wi... Read more

In the essay below, Pearson maintains that while the first four acts of The Duchess of Malfi are clearly a tragedy, the structure of the play fragments in the final act, with notes of satire and tragi... Read more

In the essay below, Goldberg discusses the political and intellectual context of The Duchess of Malfi, noting contemporary discussions of absolutism, the rule of James I, and individualism. Goldberg s... Read more

In the following essay, Callaghan argues that female sexual desire, and perhaps even femininity, is always depicted as monstrous in Renaissance tragedy. In addition to the Duchess, Callaghan discusses... Read more

In the following essay, Bartels suggests that Shakespeare and Webster give their female characters real voices by making their speech acceptable through a cover of submissiveness or compliance. Contra... Read more

Critical Essay by Rowland Wymer SOURCE "The Duchess of Malfi," in Webster and Ford, Macmillan Press, Ltd., 1995, pp. 52-71. In the following excerpt, Wymer, in the light of modern adapta... Read more

Thomas Middleton's prefatory poem to Webster's The Duchess of Malfi In this thou imitat'st one rich, and wise, That sees his good deeds done before he dies; As he by works, thou b... Read more

John Russell Brown on The Duchess of Malfi The Duchess of Malfi, like Webster's other works, is studded with phrases culled from other authors; here are the words of William Alexander, Chapman,... Read more

Both of the above quotations have elements of truth to them, but I think that to look at the character of Bosola, an audience would concentrate more on his actions and how they change his interpretati... Read more

"The Duchess of Malfi" by John Webster follows the story of an upper class, dysfunctional family who resort to torture, deception and murder in order to gain what they desire, whether it be love or so... Read more