The Duchess of Malfi as a Revenge Tragedy by John Webster The Lady of Malfi” by John Webster (1580 – 1632), an English Jacobean writer, could be a kind of Revenge tragedy. It is considered one of the best plays of Webster. As a Revenge Tragedy, it is the best tragedy after Shakespeare's Revenge Tragedy. This play contains extreme violence, plotting, and mostly revenge on the best part. These are the chief elements of revenge tragedy. The Duchess of Malfi contains elements of revenge tragedy from the beginning to the end. But, if we want to consider The Duchess of Malfi as a Revenge Tragedy, we need to know the definition of a revenge tragedy with its major conventions. A revenge tragedy is a tragedy in which the tragic calamity is caused by the pursuit and accomplishment of revenge. The characteristics of Revenge Tragedy are: 1. The story should center on characters of noble birth. 2. The narrative should involve complex plotting. 3. There should be murders 4. presence of the sup...