Is The Duchess of Malfi a revenge tragedy?

First, we should think about the definition of a "revenge tragedy." The term was first used by the American Shakespeare scholar Ashley H. Thorndike (1871–1933) in a 1902 article "The Relations of Hamlet to Contemporary Revenge Plays." It has since become a common term in literary criticism used to elucidate the common characteristics of many Elizabethan and Jacobean dramas. The characteristics include

• a plot involving some form of revenge, usually for a past injustice


• a convoluted...

First, we should think about the definition of a "revenge tragedy." The term was first used by the American Shakespeare scholar Ashley H. Thorndike (1871–1933) in a 1902 article "The Relations of Hamlet to Contemporary Revenge Plays." It has since become a common term in literary criticism used to elucidate the common characteristics of many Elizabethan and Jacobean dramas. The characteristics include

• a plot involving some form of revenge, usually for a past injustice


• a convoluted and action-packed plot structure


• madness


• disguise or other forms of pretense


• violent murders


• many characters dying in the fifth act


• extremely evil villains


• cannibalism


• highly wrought figurative language


• exotic setting (Italy, Spain, etc.)

The play is set in Italy. Ferdinand, the duke of Calabria, is a typical revenge tragedy villain. The plot is extremely convoluted and includes the ruse to send Antonio away and keep the children safe. Many of the characters are murdered near the end of the play.

Although The Duchess of Malfi does not have the classic plot arc of a single avenger seeking and obtaining justice for a past injustice, it has many of the other characteristics of revenge drama and, as a result, most critics consider it a revenge tragedy.