What Do I Read Next?
- The White Devil, released in 1612, is another well-known play by Webster. Similar to The Duchess of Malfi, it is inspired by a real-life story of Italian nobility. Incorporating elements of revenge tragedy, it portrays malevolent brothers who punish and seek revenge for their sisters.
- William Shakespeare's renowned tragedy Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (circa 1601) is arguably his most famous work. Although it concludes with a stage littered with corpses, much like The Duchess of Malfi, its primary focus is on the philosophical and psychological evolution of the protagonist.
- Another Shakespearean play, Titus Andronicus (circa 1590), bears a closer resemblance to The Duchess of Malfi in terms of its gruesome violence. Rarely performed, it features a cycle of vengeance involving murder, rape, the severing of a character's tongue and hands, and the baking of slain children into a pie served to their mother.
- J. H. Plumb's The Italian Renaissance, updated in a revised edition in 2001, serves as an excellent introduction to the era in which The Duchess of Malfi is set. The book’s first half offers a historical overview of the economic and social conditions that sparked the Renaissance, while the second half provides concise biographies of notable figures, authored by various scholars.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.
