Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1896 Excerpt: ... horrors but the "worst remains behind," and that is the motiveless and false exhibition of human nature. Take the story. The young Duchess of Malfi loves her steward, tells him so, and privately marries him. Her brothers Ferdinand and the Cardinal, caring only for the nobility of their lineage, wish to marry her to Prince Malateste; and, on hearing how she has disgraced herself, resolve to kill her. But death, simply as death, is no fit punishment for such a crime. They prepare, therefore, a waxen image (anticipating Madame Tussaud) of Antonio, her husband, which is shown to her as his corpse; they fill her palace with mad people, whose howlings are to madden her; and, having wrought upon her till they think despair can hold out no longer, they bring in the executioners and strangle her. No sooner is she dead than Ferdinand, who planned it all, turns suddenly remorseful--as villains do in the last scenes of melodramas--and in the fifth act he goes raving mad. Now, firstly, the horrors are childish, because they grow out of no proper ground. They are not the culmination of tragic motives. The insulted pride of Ferdinand might demand as reparation the life of his sister, and there is a real tragic position in the third act, where he places the poinard in her hand and bids her die. But playing these fantastic tricks to bring her to despair is mere madness. How ludicrously absurd is this Ferdinand--who has never given a hint of any love for his sister, any sorrow for her shame, any reluctance in perpetrating these cruelties--to be suddenly lachrymose and repentant as soon as she is dead! This is not the work of a dramatist; it is clumsy ignorance. The Duchess of Malfi is a nightmare, not a tragedy. I might go through the work, and point out in almost...
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About the Author
John Forster is a singer-songwriter, playwright, and humorist whose acclaimed output includes musicals on and off Broadway, Grammy-nominated recordings, humor books, and many delightful projects for children, including the perennial stage musical How To Eat Like A Child" and a dozen albums with Tom Chapin. John s comedy CDs include Entering Marion", Helium", and the recent Broadsides", a duet album with Tom featuring their satire for NPR. John lives in South Nyack, New York. For more information visit JohnForster.com.
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