In The Duchess of Malfi, John Webster reworked the idea of a female tragic protagonist explored in his earlier and less well-received play The White Devil. In the play, which is still much performed today, Webster addresses questions of court corruption, political scandal and the most important issue of the status of women in Jacobean England. This well chosen selection of essays looks at many of the issues that are raised by The Duchess of Malfi, including marriage and morality, sexual politics and female sexuality, providing thought-provoking analyses of this quintessential Jacobean tragedy.
