A review by poetry_birb
The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster

adventurous dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I loved the duchess so much- she’s an amazing independent protagonist, and for that to happen in such an early time period where a woman has that much power in her hands is fantastic. The Duchess is a compelling and loveable character, as well as her lover Antonio. My only complaint is Bosola’s characterization. He seems to feel remorse for his actions, but continues on doing the exact same thing over and over with little to no reaction, and then a sudden change of heart. He blindly follows Ferdinand’s orders, feels remorse, but then nothing changes. He just keeps doing it. Why even put his emotions in there then? It all comes to nothing, and his actions don’t align with his motivations that are being shown. It confuses me. Overall however, a great play. Especially for looking into early Elizabethan themes that aren’t Shakespeare. Honestly I think this play is just as good if not better than some of Shakespeare’s. Very underrated, and I highly recommend.