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A review by casparb
The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster
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.
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.