Duchess of Malfi at Strawdog Theatre

Based on actual events in the Italian Court of the Sixteenth Century, Webster’s The Duchess Of Malfi tells the story of the widowed Duchess and her secret marriage to Antonio. The love of the Duchess defies both social convention and the wishes of her brothers, The Cardinal, and her twin, Ferdinand. Publicly the brothers want the Duchess to remain unmarried, appealing to Christian piety; however, their true motives are greed and an incestuous lust. When the brothers learn of the marriage, it unleashes a storm of murderous revenge.