John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi" is a macabre and tragic play written between 1612 and 1613. Misuse of power, revenge, deception, cruelty, and corruption are among the many themes that run throughout this work. The work is set in the court of Malfi, in reality Amalfi in Italy, and concerns the story of the titular Duchess who is recently widowed and falls in love with Antonio, a lowly steward. However the Duchess' family, wishing her to not split...

"Seen as anarchic and amoral in their time, these four tragedies of murder and politics continue to resonate with their dark, horrific vision of humanity. Featuring strangulations, poisonings, stabbings and incest, the plays explore violence, transgression and destructive sexual jealousy, while also satirising the dangerous times in which they were written. This new edition illuminates Webster's and Ford's plays further by putting them in context...