The macabre plays of the Jacobean dramatist John Webster still retain the same raw power to shock audiences today, with his ‘The White Devil’ and ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ being widely recognised as masterpieces of seventeenth century theatre. For the first time in digital publishing, this comprehensive eBook presents Webster’s complete works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)* Beautiful...

The Harvard Classics: Complete 51-Volume Collection offers an unparalleled exploration of the foundational texts that have shaped Western thought, literature, and science. This anthology encompasses a breathtaking array of genres and styles, ranging from the drama of Shakespeare and Sophocles to the philosophical treatises of Plato and Kant, and the insightful essays of Montaigne and Emerson. The collection is celebrated not only for its diversity but also for standout compilations that we...

"The Duchess of Malfi" was published in 1623, but the date of writing may have been as early as 1611. It is based on a story in Painter's "Palace of Pleasure," translated from the Italian novelist, Bandello; and it is entirely possible that it has a foundation in fact. In any case, it portrays with a terrible vividness one side of the court life of the Italian Renaissance; and its picture of the fierce quest of pleasure, the recklessness of crime, and the worldliness of the great princes o...

The plays of Jacobean dramatist John Webster are masterpieces of early seventeenth-century English theatre. ‘The White Devil’ depicts a dark, sinister world of duplicity, intrigue and murderous infidelity, while ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ tells the macabre story of a woman who marries beneath herself and sets in motion a terrible cycle of violence. Unlike these revenge tragedies, ‘The Devil’s Law-Case’ asserts social order in a plot filled with twists of fate. Written at a time when the court ...

The Duchess of Malfi (originally published as The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy) is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, then later to a larger audience at The Globe, in 1613–1614. Published in 1623, the play is loosely based on events that occurred between 1508 and 1513 surrounding Giovanna d'Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi (d. 1511), whose father, Enrico d'Aragona, Marquis of Gerace,...

The White Devil, tragedy in five acts by John Webster, performed and published as The White Divel in 1612. Based on historical events that occurred in Italy during the 1580s, this dark Jacobean drama is considered one of the finest of the period.The White Devil centres on the love affair between the duke of Brachiano and Vittoria Corombona, two of the play’s many unscrupulous characters. Despite her role as a vicious heroine, Vittoria elicits sympathy in her attempt to endure a dee...

We rely on your support to help us keep producing beautiful, free, and unrestricted editions of literature for the digital age. Will you support our efforts with a donation ? John Webster was a later contemporary of Shakespeare , and The Duchess of Malfi , Webster's best known play, is considered among the best of the period. It appears to have been first performed in 1612–13 at the Blackfriars before moving on to the larger and more famous Globe Theatre, and was later published in 1623. T...

John Webster's The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy is a dark and powerful masterpiece of Jacobean drama, renowned for its intense exploration of ambition, corruption, and the destructive nature of power. First performed in the early 17th century, this tragedy stands as one of the most gripping and psychologically complex works of English Renaissance theatre, blending horror, suspense, and poetic eloquence in a tale of love, betrayal, and vengeance. The play tells the story of the young a...

What if a lifetime library could fit into a single collection? The Complete Harvard Classics and Shelf of Fiction unites two of the most respected literary collections ever assembled. Curated to provide a full education through reading, this monumental anthology brings together the finest works of philosophy, history, poetry, drama, science, and fiction from the world's greatest thinkers and storytellers. The Harvard Classics offer essential nonfiction and literary masterpieces that shaped...

Webster & Tourneur is a reference to the dramatic works of two prominent Jacobean playwrights: John Webster and Cyril Tourneur, who were known for their dark, tragic plays that explore themes of revenge, corruption, and moral decay. The two playwrights shared a penchant for the macabre, and their works often depict characters grappling with their desires for power, vengeance, and the consequences of moral corruption.John Webster’s most famous plays, The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil...

The White Devil is a Jacobean tragedy by John Webster that explores themes of corruption, vengeance, and the complexities of human nature. The play centers around the ambitious and morally ambiguous characters of Vittoria Corombona and her lover, the Duke of Brachiano, who are both entangled in a web of betrayal and murder. Vittoria is a beautiful and intelligent woman, whose marriage to the older, wealthy but less desirable Duke of Arianna is one of convenience rather than love. However, ...

The Complete Harvard Classics gathers fifty-one volumes of Western writing into an ambitious portable canon, spanning epic, tragedy, philosophy, political theory, devotional prose, scientific inquiry, history, fiction, and essay. Ancient dialogues and dramas stand beside Renaissance humanism, Enlightenment argument, Romantic lyricism, Victorian criticism, and foundational scientific writing. Its range—from fable, chronicle, and travel narrative to speeches, experiments, and imaginative lit...