John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi as a Revenge Tragedy “The Duchess of Malfi” is a macabre and tragic play, written by the English playwright John Webster. It begins as a love story, with a duchess who marries below her class, and ends as a nightmarish tragedy as her two brothers exact their revenge, destroying themselves in the process. The work is sometimes ridiculed by modern critics for excessive violence and horror in later scenes. But the scenes of violence and horror give the film the edge it needs to be a revenge tragedy. The Cardinal and Ferdinand, the Duchess's brothers, are decidedly against their sister's new marriage. Ferdinand urges her not to remarry. She condemns him because she thinks he shows a lustful nature.