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The Duchess of Malfi | The Duchess of Malfi: Overview
In the following essay, Richard Morton examines how the language in The Duchess of Malfi contributes to the play's emotional intensity and dramatic power.
The Duchess of Malfi's emotional power and theatrical potency, first defined by Charles Lamb and A. C. Swinburne, derives from its persuasive dramatic realism and its tirelessly intelligent and complex poetry.
The plot follows an account in William Painter's Palace of Pleasure (1567) based on true events in early 16th-century Italy. Two powerful brothers, Ferdinand, Duke of Calabria, and the Cardinal, are determined that their widowed sister, the Duchess, shall not remarry. They set Bosola, a malcontent courtier, to spy on her. She secretly marries her...
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- The Duchess of Malfi: Introduction
- The Duchess of Malfi: Summary
- The Duchess of Malfi: John Webster Biography
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The Duchess of Malfi: Summary and Analysis
- Act 1, Scene 1: Summary and Analysis
- Act 1, Scene 2: Summary and Analysis
- Act 2, Scenes 1-2: Summary and Analysis
- Act 2, Scenes 3-5: Summary and Analysis
- Act 3, Scenes 1-2: Summary and Analysis
- Act 3, Scenes 3-5: Summary and Analysis
- Act 4, Scene 1: Summary and Analysis
- Act 4, Scene 2: Summary and Analysis
- Act 5, Scene 1: Summay and Analysis
- Act 5, Scene 2: Summary and Analysis
- Act 5, Scenes 3-5: Summary and Analysis
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The Duchess of Malfi: Quizzes
- Act 1, Scene 1: Questions and Answers
- Act 1, Scene 2: Questions and Answers
- Act 2, Scenes 1-2: Questions and Answers
- Ace 2, Scenes 3-5: Questions and Answers
- Act 3, Scenes 1-2: Questions and Answers
- Act 3, Scenes 3-5: Questions and Answers
- Act 4, Scene 1: Questions and Answers
- Act 4, Scene 2: Questions and Answers
- Act 5, Scene 1: Questions and Answers
- Act 5, Scenes 2: Questions and Answers
- Act 5, Scene 3-5: Questions and Answers
- The Duchess of Malfi: Themes
- The Duchess of Malfi: Style
- The Duchess of Malfi: Historical Context
- The Duchess of Malfi: Critical Overview
- The Duchess of Malfi: Character Analysis
- The Duchess of Malfi: Essays and Criticism
- The Duchess of Malfi: Suggested Essay Topics
- The Duchess of Malfi: Sample Essay Outlines
- The Duchess of Malfi: Compare and Contrast
- The Duchess of Malfi: Topics for Further Study
- The Duchess of Malfi: Media Adaptations
- The Duchess of Malfi: What Do I Read Next?
- The Duchess of Malfi: Bibliography and Further Reading
- The Duchess of Malfi: Pictures
- Copyright
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