The Duchess of Malfi (Annotated‪)‬

The Duchess of Malfi (originally published as The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy) is a macabre, tragic play composed by the English dramatist John Webster in 1613.  It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, then before a more general audience at The Globe, in 1614.   Published in 1623, the play is loosely based on events that occurred between about 1508 and 1513, recounted in William Painter's The Palace of Pleasure (1567, which was a translation of the French adaptation, due to Pierre Boistau and Francois Belleforest, of Matteo Bandello's Novelle, 1554). The Duchess was Giovanna d'Aragona (d. 1510), whose father, Enrico d'Aragona, Marquis of Gerace, was an illegitimate son of Ferdinand I of Naples. Her husbands were Alfonso Piccolomini (it), Duke of Amalfi, and (as in the play) Antonio Beccadelli di Bologna (it).


This edition has been formatted for your reader, with an active table of contents.  The play has also been annotated, with additional information about the work itself and also about John Webster, including an overview, characters, main themes, plot, historical staging, reception, references in popular culture, and biographical information.