"Neill's edit of the play is very well done. ... If there's a more
knowledgeable or erudite unraveling of the play, I haven't seen it."
--Steve Sohmer, Comitatus
This Norton Critical Edition of John Webster's 1612-13 tragedy offers a
newly edited and annotated text together with a full introduction and
illustrative materials intended for student readers.
The Duchess of Malfi's themes of love, loyalty, and betrayal have
resonated through the centuries, making this a perennially popular play
with audiences and readers alike. This volume includes a generous
selection of supporting materials, among them Webster's likely sources
for the play (William Painter, George Whetstone, Simon Goulart, and
Thomas Beard) as well as related works by Webster and George Wither on
widows, funerals, and memorializing death. A generous selection from
Mark H. Curtis's classic essay, "The Alienated Intellectuals of Early
Stuart England," tells readers as much about the character of Bosola as
it does about his creator. Henry Fitzgeffrey (1617) and Horatio Busino
(1618) provide early responses to the play.
"Criticism" is thematically organized to provide readers with a clear
sense of The Duchess of Malfi's central themes of dramaturgy; the
politics of family, court, and religion; and gender. Also included are
essays on contemporary re-imaginings of the play and its critical
reception over time. Contributors include Don D. Moore, Inga-Stina
Ewbank, Christina Luckyj, Barbara Correll, D. C. Gunby, Lee Bliss,
Rowland Wymer, Brian Chalk, Theodora Jankowski, and Pascale Aebischer.
A selected bibliography is also included.
