Enam's Note

The Duchess of Malfi, the protagonist of the trargedy “ The Duchess of Malfi ” by John Webster, is completely an exceptional character from the typical Jacobean one. The author paints the character with the colour of sensuality, passion, strength, wit, and independence. Now we are going to discuss her character.   The Duchess of Malfi is the sister of Cardinal and the twin sister of Ferdinand . She is never referred to by name throughout the play. At the very beginning of the play, we see she is a widow, but “ still in the bloom of youth” . Actually “ The Duchess of Malfi ” is a tragedy on a real duchess “ Giovanna ”, a girl of twelve, married to Alfonso , duke of Amalfi, in 1490. She became widow at the age of twenty in 1498. Later, defying the order of her older brothers she fell in love with a man beneath her class, secretly married and gave birth to three children.  But when her marriage was discovered she along with her husband and children was mercilessly killed....