The Duchess of Malfi

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

—

Title

The Duchess of Malfi

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

John Webster's dark masterpiece follows the Duchess of Malfi, a virtuous widow who defies her tyrannical brothers by secretly marrying her loyal steward, Antonio. Their flight from Rome leads to a tragic climax involving betrayal, murder, and poetic justice, exploring themes of power, corruption, and the resilience of true love against overwhelming oppression.

Summary up to 500 words

John Webster's *The Duchess of Malfi*, written in the early 17th century, presents a grim portrait of Renaissance Italy dominated by the corrupt Cardinal and his brother, the Duke of Calabria. The Cardinal, a hypocritical churchman, and the Duke, a violent soldier, despise their sister for her beauty and virtue. They view her marriage to Antonio, a humble steward, as a direct affront to their authority. Upon discovering the secret wedding, the brothers plot the Duchess's death. However, the Duchess is prepared for this fate. She arranges for her husband and their three young children to flee to Ancona, while she feigns a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Loretto. Believing she has fled, the brothers pursue her to the shrine. In a dramatic dumb-show, the Duchess and Antonio are symbolically banished by the state of Ancona, representing the Church's intervention against their tyranny. The tragedy culminates in a chaotic confrontation at the shrine. Bosola, the Cardinal's spy, arrives to kill Antonio but is tricked into slaying the Cardinal instead. The Duke, enraged by the death of his brother and the Duchess, attacks Bosola. In the ensuing struggle, both the Cardinal and the Duke die. Bosola, having achieved his revenge for the Duchess's murder, also kills himself, declaring that the world is a shadowy place where only the just can face death without fear. Delio, Antonio's friend, arrives with Antonio's surviving son, vowing to raise the boy as the rightful heir to the Duchess's legacy. The play ends on a note of bleak but necessary justice, celebrating the Duchess's integrity and the destruction of the corrupt powers that sought to crush her.

LLM editorial rating

4.5/5

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https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/ebooks/john-webster_duchess-of-malfi.epub

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data/epubs/url-4e23d049be302d71.epub

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Categories

• Drama
• Tragedy