The Duchess of Malfi at Christopher Newport University

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2. The Duchess of Malfi

Authors

• Ben Ringham
• John Webster
• Lee Hoiby
• Max Ringham

Originally published "The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy," the play is loosely based on the life of Duchess Giovanna d'Aragona as recounted by William Painter in "The Palace of Pleasure" (1567). The play starts as a love story, which spirals into a nightmarish tragedy filled with vengeance, greed and incest.

"The Duchess of Malfi"--Ang Dukesa ng Malfi in Tagalog--is set in the court of Malfi (Amalfi), Italy, where a recently widowed duchess outwits her scheming brothers by marrying her personal steward. As the said clandestine plot is revealed, a series of maddening events, such as corruption and abuse of power, ensues.