The Duchess of Malfi

The Duchess of Malfi is a play written by John Webster, first performed in 1614. The play is set in 16th century Italy and tells the story of a young widowed Duchess who falls in love with her steward, Antonio. However, her two brothers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal, are against the relationship and seek to control her wealth and power. The Duchess secretly marries Antonio and bears him children, but her brothers discover the truth and plot to have her killed. The play is a tragedy, exploring themes of power, corruption, and revenge. It is considered a masterpiece of Jacobean drama and is known for its poetic language, complex characters, and violent themes.ANTONIO. 'Tis great pity He should be thus neglected: I have heard He 's very valiant. This foul melancholy Will poison all his goodness; for, I 'll tell you, If too immoderate sleep be truly said.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.