The Duchess of Malfi – John Webster

"Cover her face; mine eyes dazzle; she died young."

The widowed Duchess of Malfi secretly marries her steward Antonio, defying her two corrupt brothers, the Cardinal and Ferdinand, who want to control her fortune. When they discover her secret, they unleash a campaign of psychological torture and murder that destroys the entire family. The play is famous for its horrific climax and its exploration of corruption and madness.

Webster's Jacobean tragedy is a masterpiece of the macabre. It features one of the strongest female characters in early modern drama and explores the abuse of power with a dark, poetic intensity that rivals Shakespeare.