Three Plays: The White Devil / The Duchess of Malfi / The Devil's Law-Case

by John Webster, David C. Gunby (Editor)

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 of King James was rife with instability and corruption, Webster's disturbing plays reflect this abuse of power and are known for their horrific vision of humanity - yet they are also some of the most rich, sophisticated dramas ever composed.

Genres: Drama, Plays, 17th Century, Classics, Literature, British Literature, Theatre

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

John Webster (c.1580 – c.1634) was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies The White Devil (1612) and The Duchess of Malfi (1613), which are often regarded as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad that for my comprehensive exams I chose one of the more intriguing tragedies to be performed in the later years of the Globe Theatre: The Duchess of Malfi presents a cruel world punctuated by the clear-sightedness of its characters, for good or more often for evil, and the moral complexity of following traditions to a deadly 't'. The other two plays in this collection were more of a struggle to understand: White Devil and The Devil's Law-Case rely on unsympathetic stereotypes of Italians where everyone is an Iago, even those who appear on stage in the costume of a Moor. The females have it worse where only the defiant Duchess rises above the constant abuse from family members and a heinous hegemony.

[James Violand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven in the extreme. John Webster had a brilliant wit and created memorable characters. This selection of his plays also shows a penchant for gross manipulation of his audience by manufacturing outrageous coincidences and irrational behaviors that fly in the face of reality. The Duchess of Malfi is the best of the three dramas and is so good that I wish some theatrical company would produce it. The White Devil and The Devil's Law-Case should be forgotten as they fail to display the gift Webster had.

[Fraser Botting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genuinely couldn’t tell you what happened in any of these plays but I guess the language was... different ahaha

[One Sassy Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely one of the plays from this period that I enjoyed the most.
I read it for college, specifically to make a presentation on it.
I’ll definitely enjoy making that presentation.

Such a tragic tale of revenge, madness, impossible love, ambition and how it can corrupt a human being so thoroughly.

Great play!

[ani · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally finished this! and damn. john webster is officially one of my favourite authors. maybe my favourite playwright?

the white devil made me fall in love with him. the dutchess of malfi become literally a favourite play of mine (that i've now read several times). and the devil's law-case left me needing more.

this man is the true jacobean who has stolen my heart.

[Gill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Placeholder for "Monuments of Honour", a seriously bizarre pageant written for the Lord Mayor.

I have now actually read all the plays in this volume

Read as part of the Shakespeare Institute's 2019 readathon: #Websterthon.

[rania · Rating 3 out of 5]

strange and convoluted ... me likey

[Bill FromPA · Rating 5 out of 5]

The White Devil 2/10
The Duchess of Malfi 3/21
The Devil's Law-Case 4/18-19

[Eleni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Webster is often thought of as the brutal playwright after Shakespeare. And there is a lot of violence in Webster's plays, that being said, they are well-crafted and entertaining in ways that would seem familiar to modern film audiences also used to graphic scenes of violence. Certainly, the point of Jacobean drama is more than just graphic violence, it is sometimes hard to get passed it, but it does comment on the times.

[Lysergius · Rating 4 out of 5]

I some ways less literary, but more action oriented than Shakespeare. There is the same wealth of allusion and some very fine turns of phrase but there are some passages that are quite obscure. "The Devil's Law case" is an unexpected gem.

[justin]

seriously, everyone should love The Duchess of Malfi. crazy murders and secret babies!