THE DUCHESS OF MALFI
by John Webster
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
Of John Webster’s life almost nothing is known. The dates 1580-1625 given
for his birth and death are conjectural inferences, about which the best
that can be said is that no known facts contradict them.
The first notice of Webster so far discovered shows that he was
collaborating in the production of plays for the theatrical manager,
Henslowe, in 1602, and of such collaboration he seems to have done a
considerable amount. Four plays exist which he wrote alone, “The White
Devil,” “The Duchess of Malfi,” “The Devil’s Law-Case,” and “Appius and
Virginia.”
“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 of the
Church finds only too ready corroboration in the annals of the time.
Webster’s tragedies come toward the close of the great series of tragedies
of blood and revenge, in which “The Spanish Tragedy” and “Hamlet” are
landmarks, but before decadence can fairly be said to have set in. He,
indeed, loads his scene with horrors almost past the point which modern
taste can bear; but the intensity of his dramatic situations, and his
superb power of flashing in a single line a light into the recesses of the
human heart at the crises of supreme emotion, redeems him from mere
sensationalism, and places his best things in the first rank of dramatic
writing.
THE DUCHESS OF MALFI
Dramatis Personae:
FERDINAND [Duke of Calabria].
CARDINAL [his brother].
ANTONIO
[BOLOGNA, Steward of the Household to the Duchess].
DELIO [his
friend].
DANIEL DE BOSOLA [Gentleman of the Horse to the Duchess].
[CASTRUCCIO, an old Lord].
MARQUIS OF PESCARA.
[COUNT]
MALATESTI.
RODERIGO, ]
SILVIO, ] [Lords].
GRISOLAN, ]
DOCTOR.
The Several Madmen.
DUCHESS [OF MALFI].
CARIOLA [her woman].
[JULIA, Castruccio’s
wife, and] the Cardinal’s mistress.
[Old Lady].
Ladies, Three Young Children, Two Pilgrims, Executioners,
Court
Officers, and Attendants.
FOOTNOTES:
1 (return)
[ Malfi. The presence-chamber
in the palace of the Duchess.]
2 (return)
[ Prevent.]
3 (return)
[ The same.]
4 (return)
[ The reference is to the
knightly sport of riding at the ring.]
5 (return)
[ At the expense of.]
6 (return)
[ Rolls of lint used to dress
wounds.]
7 (return)
[ Surgeons.]
8 (return)
[ A small horse.]
9 (return)
[ Ballasted.]
10 (return)
[ A lively dance.]
11 (return)
[ Throws into the shade.]
12 (return)
[ At the point of.]
13 (return)
[ Coaches.]
14 (return)
[ Spy.]
15 (return)
[ Cheats.]
16 (return)
[ Spy.]
17 (return)
[ Malfi. Gallery in the
Duchess’ palace.]
18 (return)
[ Lustful.]
19 (return)
[ Genesis xxxi., 31-42.]
20 (return)
[ The net in which he
caught Venus and Mars.]
21 (return)
[ Housekeepers.]
22 (return)
[ Produced.]
23 (return)
[ Qq. read STRANGE.]
24 (return)
[ Guess.]
25 (return)
[ The phrase used to
indicate that accounts had been examined and found correct.]
26 (return)
[ Using words of present
time; i.e., “I take,” not “I will take.”]
27 (return)
[ Knot.]
28 (return)
[ More firmly.]
29 (return)
[ Of difficult
disposition.]
30 (return)
[ Malfi. An apartment in
the palace of the Duchess.]
31 (return)
[ Chief part.]
32 (return)
[ Bullies (Hazlitt);
lawyers (Vaughan).]
33 (return)
[ Royal journey.]
34 (return)
[ Turning a boat on its
side for repairs.]
35 (return)
[ Scabbed.]
36 (return)
[ Empty.]
37 (return)
[ Face-modeling (Sampson).
“There’s a plain statement of your practises.”]
38 (return)
[ Blue like those of a
woman with child.]
39 (return)
[ Scurf.]
40 (return)
[ Person of highest
influence.]
41 (return)
[ Hysteria.]
42 (return)
[ This year.]
43 (return)
[ Clearly.]
44 (return)
[ Youngster.]
45 (return)
[ A hall in the same
palace.]
46 (return)
[ Crossness.]
47 (return)
[ Always.]
48 (return)
[ The meaner servants.]
49 (return)
[ At once.]
50 (return)
[ Cast his horoscope.]
51 (return)
[ The court of the same
palace.]
52 (return)
[ Making an astrological
calculation.]
53 (return)
[ Going to the root of the
matter.]
54 (return)
[ Write.]
55 (return)
[ i.e., on his
handkerchief.]
56 (return)
[ Addressing the lantern.]
57 (return)
[ “The rest not
considered.”]
58 (return)
[ A piece of news.]
59 (return)
[ Cleverly contrived.]
60 (return)
[ Rome. An apartment in the
palace of the Cardinal.]
61 (return)
[ Religious recluse.]
62 (return)
[ Experienced.]
63 (return)
[ Sick.]
64 (return)
[ Medicinal.]
65 (return)
[ Strong broth.]
66 (return)
[ Another apartment in the
same palace.]
67 (return)
[ The mandrake was supposed
to give forth shrieks when uprooted, which drove the hearer mad.]
68 (return)
[ Unchaste.]
69 (return)
[ Supposed to be a sign of
folly.]
70 (return)
[ Throw the hammer.]
71 (return)
[ Boil to shreds. (Dyce.)
Qq, TO BOIL.]
72 (return)
[ Malfi. An apartment in
the palace of the Duchess.]
73 (return)
[ Wealth.]
74 (return)
[ Lampoons.]
75 (return)
[ Plowshares.]
76 (return)
[ Spying.]
77 (return)
[ Deceptions.]
78 (return)
[ Soothing.]
79 (return)
[ The bed-chamber of the
Duchess in the same.]
80 (return)
[ Qq. read SLIGHT.]
81 (return)
[ Powder of orris-root.]
82 (return)
[ Wheels of craft.]
83 (return)
[ Certificate that the
books were found correct.]
84 (return)
[ The badge of a steward.]
85 (return)
[ Spies.]
86 (return)
[ Lot.]
87 (return)
[ For Plutus.]
88 (return)
[ Quick steps.]
89 (return)
[ Miss.]
90 (return)
[ Remains.]
91 (return)
[ Profession.]
92 (return)
[ An apartment in the
Cardinal’s palace at Rome.]
93 (return)
[ A decorated horse-cloth,
used only when the court is traveling.]
94 (return)
[ The first quarto has in
the margin: “The Author disclaims this Ditty to be his.”]
95 (return)
[ Near Loretto.]
96 (return)
[ Small birds.]
97 (return)
[ His vizard.]
98 (return)
[ Malfi. An apartment in
the palace of the Duchess.]
99 (return)
[ Curtain.]
100 (return)
[ The wife of Brutus, who
died by swallowing fire.]
101 (return)
[ By artificial means.]
102 (return)
[ Profession.]
103 (return)
[ Spying.]
104 (return)
[ Another room in the
lodging of the Duchess.]
105 (return)
[ Band.]
106 (return)
[ Bands.]
107 (return)
[ Boil.]
108 (return)
[ Punning on the two
senses of “dye” and “corn.”]
109 (return)
[ From exporting his
grain.]
110 (return)
[ Optical glass.]
111 (return)
[ The Geneva Bible.]
112 (return)
[ Petticoat.]
113 (return)
[ Coach.]
114 (return)
[ A warm drink containing
milk, wine, etc.]
115 (return)
[ Receptacle.]
116 (return)
[ A drug supposed to ooze
from embalmed bodies.]
117 (return)
[ Curdled.]
118 (return)
[ Trial.]
119 (return)
[ An exclamation of
impatience.]
120 (return)
[ Milan. A public place.]
121 (return)
[ In escheat; here, in
fee.]
122 (return)
[ Disbeliever.]
123 (return)
[ Fraught.]
124 (return)
[ A gallery in the
residence of the Cardinal and Ferdinand.]
125 (return)
[ A dog which worries
sheep.]
126 (return)
[ A fabulous serpent that
killed by its glance.]
127 (return)
[ Cut a caper.]
128 (return)
[ Broth.]
129 (return)
[ Skeletons.]
130 (return)
[ So Dyce. Qq. BROUGHT.]
131 (return)
[ Perfumed sweetmeats for
the breath.]
132 (return)
[ Smoke.]
133 (return)
[ A fortification.]
134 (return)
[ Milan. An apartment in
the residence of the Cardinal and Ferdinand.]
135 (return)
[ Reality.]
136 (return)
[ Mistake.]
137 (return)
[ i.e., the dead body.]
138 (return)
[ Another apartment in
the same.
END OF PLAY
Transcriber’s Note:
Comments on the preparation of this e-text:
All of the footnotes have been re-numbered, in the form [xxx].
A few punctuation marks have been added. These are always set off by angle
brackets. Eg. [?]
The names of the characters have been spelled out in full. Eg. CARDINAL
was CARD.
Leading blanks are reproduced from the printed text. Eg.:
FERDINAND. Sister, I have a suit to you. DUCHESS. To me, sir?