Reviews

The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster

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b3qtr1s's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

a_goofy_thing's review against another edition

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dark funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

casparb's review against another edition

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unexpectedly a new fav of the era it’s relentlessly grim a real bloodbath of a play though it never felt so heavy-handed as something like Titus Andronicus. Reaches for fresh images with almost neurotic compulsion I appreciate that it’s not realism but it is poetry.

Also enjoyed the political notes which I find if we have a count or other minor noble as the highest authority then in Shakespeare for example they’re venerated a paragon. Here that’s not what’s happening & while it’s not whatever chaos Marlowe would wreak I love the scene where the duke launches himself at his own shadow & resonated with my recent Jung and his concept of the shadow as the lesser, guilt-bearing splinter of the self. It’s a play that constantly ejects the body from itself! The heart heaved into the throat and spewed out. Made into any else.

Man stands amaz'd to see his deformity In any other creature but himself.

seaswift14's review against another edition

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challenging dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

amelie_ldv's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

fun mais g pas compris

exlibris_sofia's review against another edition

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4.0

actually quite an interesting play to read. the writing was fairly digestible, if a little dense, and i really did enjoy the characters in it. the duchess herself is definitely one of the strongest female characters that i've read in my english class so far this year. she is noble, intelligent, and has power over her own life, which most other female characters don't.