Three Plays

By John Webster and David Gunby

The plays of Jacobean dramatist John Webster are masterpieces of early seventeenth-century English theatre. ‘The White Devil’ depicts a dark, sinister world of duplicity, intrigue and murderous infidelity, while ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ tells the macabre story of a woman who marries beneath herself and sets in motion a terrible cycle of violence. Unlike these revenge tragedies, ‘The Devil’s Law-Case’ asserts social order in a plot filled with twists of fate. Written at a time when the court of King James was rife with instability and corruption, Webster’s disturbing plays reflect this abuse of power and are known for their horrific vision of humanity – yet they are also some of the most rich, sophisticated dramas ever composed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin
• Release date: Jul 31, 1975
• ISBN: 9780141964768

John Webster

John Webster (1955-2016; PhD, University of Cambridge), one of the world's most significant systematic theologians, was latterly Professor of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2005. He published widely on the nature and practice of Christian theology.

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TEXTS

THE three plays contained in this volume were published a total of nine times during the seventeenth century: The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi four times each; The Devil’s Law-Case only once. For present purposes, however, only the First Quartos of each are of any significance. These have served as copy-texts for the present edition. All the evidence points to Webster’s active participation in the production of the Quartos, which are well printed and, save over the lineation of The Devil’s Law-Case, present the editor with few problems.

In keeping with the general principles of this series, I have modernized spelling, except where doing so would entail the loss of a rhyme or second meaning, and emended the punctuation where Jacobean methods of pointing dramatic speech present difficulties for the modern reader. In past participles and preterites the distinction between ’d for unstressed and ed for stressed final syllables has been maintained, this involving regularization in parts of The Devil’s Law-Case. I have also retained such contractions and elisions as seem to be required rhythmically. I have been conservative in my handling of stage directions, but have not hesitated to add to them where it seemed necessary. All such additions are given in square brackets. Brief notes, largely glossarial, appear at the foot of each page. The longer notes appear, together with a commentary on each scene, at the back of the book. A brief account of sources and influences is also given.

The neglect which attended The Devil’s Law-Case in the seventeenth century has attended it in the twentieth also, and in preparing this edition I have had no modern spelling texts available for consultation. I have, however, benefited greatly from the following editions of the tragedies: The White Devil: ed. Elizabeth Brennan, New Mermaid Series, 1966; ed. J. R. Brown, The Revels Plays, 2nd ed. 1966; and ed. Gamini Salgado in Three Jacobean Tragedies, The Penguin English Library, 1965. The Duchess of Malfi: ed. Elizabeth Brennan, New Mermaid Series, 1964; ed. J. R. Brown, The Revels Plays, 1964. Like them, and like all who have subsequently worked upon the plays, however, I am above all indebted to the late F. L. Lucas, whose four-volume, old-spelling edition of The Complete Works of John Webster (1927, republished 1966), with its voluminous and marvellously wide-ranging notes, remains essential reading for those who love scholarship and, more, love the plays of John Webster.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MONTICELSO, a Cardinal; afterwards Pope PAUL IV.

FRANCISCO DE MEDICI, Duke of Florence; in the fifth act disguised as MULINASSAR, a Moor.

BRACHIANO, otherwise PAULO GIORDANO URSINI, Duke of Brachiano; Husband of ISABELLA and in love with VITTORIA.

GIOVANNI, his son by ISABELLA.

LODOVICO (or LODOWICK) an Italian Count; in love with ISABELLA.

ANTONELLIGASPARO his friends; later fellow-conspirators.

CARLOPEDRO BRACHIANO’s attendants, secretly in league with FRANCISCO.

CAMILLO, husband of VITTORIA, and nephew of MONTICELSO.

HORTENSIO, one of BRACHIANO’s officers.

MARCELLO, a soldier, follower of FRANCISCO, and brother of VITTORIA.

FLAMINEO, his brother; secretary to BRACHIANO. CARDINAL OF ARAGON.

JULIO, a physician.

*CHRISTOPHERO, his assistant.

*GUID-ANTONIO.

*FERNEZE.

*JAQUES, a Moor, servant to GIOVANNI.

ISABELLA, sister to FRANCISCO, and wife to BRACHIANO.

VITTORIA COROMBONA, a Venetian lady; first married to CAMILLO, afterwards to BRACHIANO.

CORNELIA, mother to VITTORIA, MARCELLO, and FLAMINEO.

ZANCHE, a Moor; servant to VITTORIA.

MATRON of the House of Convertites. Ambassadors, armourer, attendants, chancellor, conclavist, conjuror, courtiers, lawyers, officers, page, physicians, register. Ladies.

* non-speaking parts, or ‘ghost characters’.

The action takes place in Italý, first at Rome, but in the final act, at Padua.

TO THE READER

IN publishing this tragedy, I do but challenge to myself that liberty, which other men have tane before me; not that I affect praise by it, for nos haec novimus esse nihil: only since it was acted, in so dull a time of winter, presented in so open and black a theatre, that it wanted (that which is the only [5] grace and setting out of a tragedy) a full and understanding auditory: and that since that time I have noted, most of the people that come to that playhouse, resemble those ignorant asses (who visiting stationers’ shops, their use is not to inquire for good books, but new books) I present it to the general [10] view with this confidence:

Nec rhoncos metues, maligniorum,

Nec scombris tunicas, dabis molestas.

If it be objected this is no true dramatic poem, I shall easily confess it, – non potes in nugas dicera plura meas: ipse ego quam [15] dixi, – willingly, and not ignorantly, in this kind have I faulted: for should a man present to such an auditory, the most sententious tragedy that ever was written, observing all the critical laws, as height of style, and gravity of person; enrich it with the sententious Chorus, and as it were lifen [20] death, in the passionate and weighty Nuntius: yet after all this divine rapture, O dura messorum ilia, the breath that comes from the uncapable multitude is able to poison it, and ere it be acted, let the author resolve to fix to every scene, this of Horace, [25]

– Haec hodie porcis comedenda relinques.

To those who report I was a long time in finishing this tragedy, I confess I do not write with a goose-quill, winged with two feathers, and if they will needs make it my fault, I [30] must answer them with that of Euripides to Alcestides, a tragic writer: Alcestides objecting that Euripides had only in three days composed three verses, whereas himself had written three hundred: ‘Thou tell’st truth’, quoth he, ‘but here’s the difference: thine shall only be read for three days, [35] whereas mine shall continue three ages.’

Detraction is the sworn friend to ignorance. For mine own part I have ever truly cherish’d my good opinion of other men’s worthy labours, especially of that full and height’ned style of Master Chapman, the labour’d and understanding [40] works of Master Jonson: the no less worthy composures of the both worthily excellent Master Beaumont, and Master Fletcher: and lastly (without wrong last to be named) the right happy and copious industry of Master Shakespeare, Master Dekker, and Master Heywood, wishing what I write [45] may be read by their light: protesting, that, in the strength of mine own judgement, I know them so worthy, that though I rest silent in my own work, yet to most of theirs I dare (without flattery) fix that of Martial:

– non norunt, haec monumenta mori.

7. auditory: audience.

16. have I faulted: have I fallen short of a desired standard.

21. Nuntius: messenger in classical drama.

32. verses: lines.

[ACT ONE]

[SCENE ONE]

5. in small parcels: in small portions.

7. ’quite: requite.

12. pash’d: smashed.

16. mummia: a medicinal preparation made originally from Egyptian mummies; but later from corpses generally.

18. kennel: channel, gutter.

24. fore-deeming: prejudging.

29. tend: attend.

41. close: secret, private.

44. Have a full man within you: ‘Be complete in yourself.’

47. render: give out, emit.

49. expresseth: presses out.

50. painted: artificial, unreal.

59. S.D. sennet: a trumpet call.

[SCENE TWO]