About the work
"The Duchess of Malfi" is a revenge tragedy by the English dramatist John Webster, written around 1612–13 for the acting company The King's Men. It was first performed around 1613/14, initially at the indoor Blackfriars playhouse and later also at the Globe; the text was not printed until 1623, in a version cut for performance.
Plot
The widowed Duchess of Malfi secretly marries her steward Antonio against her brothers' wishes – a match that defies the rigid social hierarchy of the time. When her brothers, the power-hungry Ferdinand and a Cardinal, discover the marriage, they have the Duchess and her children murdered. The ensuing campaign of revenge ends in general slaughter, claiming the perpetrators themselves as well.
Cultural significance
Alongside Shakespeare's work, the tragedy is regarded as one of the major achievements of the Jacobean stage, often described as its darkest. It remains one of the most frequently performed non-Shakespearean plays of the period and is regularly revived, including by the Royal Shakespeare Company.