The Jacobean era lasted the duration of the reign of King James I from 1603 until 1625. Like the Elizabethan period before it, this era produced great drama, especially tragedies. Greater amounts of violence and cynicism permeated Jacobean tragedy, which tended to focus upon moral corruption within society.

The Duchess of Malfi is an ideal example of Jacobean tragedy and arguably the best regarded by critics today. Like most Jacobean tragedy, the play revels in horrific images and violence. The Duchess is given a dead man's severed hand, shown lifelike effigies of her husband and children to convince her they are all dead, and terrorized by a parade of madmen. Shortly after, the Duchess is shown her coffin before being strangled to death. Later, several characters die by poison or stabbing.

Like most Jacobean tragedy, the play also focuses on corruption. Both of the duchess' brothers are calculating, hypocritical, violent, and covetous. Duke Ferdinand harbors implicit incestuous desires for the Duchess, while the Cardinal is carrying on an affair with a married woman. The two brothers also hire spies and murderers to carry out their dirty work. Their behavior is contrasted with that of the Duchess, who is chaste and good-natured. When the two men learn of her secret marriage to a man of lower rank (a match which not only flaunts social convention but prevents the Duchess's brothers from obtaining her estates), they resort to great brutality to obtain their revenge.