THE DUCHESS OF MALFI BY JOHN WEBSTER
Event Details
“The birds that live i’ th’ field
on the wild benefit of nature, live
Happier than we”
(3.5., Duchess of Malfi)
What kind of animal is a human? This provocative question is at the heart of John Webster’s great English Renaissance tragedy, The Duchess of Malfi. Webster’s extraordinary play was first performed in 1614 at the Blackfriars Theatre by the company Shakespeare made famous—the King’s Men.
In a sensational, terror-driven drama of corruption, betrayal and murder, Webster probes the depth of human evil, even while he reveals the spirit of his age—one where melancholy, disillusionment and insecurity about humankind’s place in a swiftly changing cosmos were on the rise.
Can love and goodness survive a hornet’s nest of corruption? Join us in a study of The Duchess of Malfi to find out!
SALON DETAILS:
- Facilitated by Julie Sutherland
- Monday evenings, 6-8.00 pm
- Seven-meeting study, 1 November to 13 December 2021
- Suggested edition: The Duchess of Malfi and Other Plays, Oxford World’s Classics, ed. Rene Weis (ISBN-10: 9780199539284; ISBN-13: 978-0199539284). N.B. Available from amazon.uk and bookdepository.com (the latter offers free worldwide shipping and no duty).
- £165 for seven-week study; includes preparatory notes and questions.
