Arbieroo reviewed The white devil by John Webster (Oxford English drama)
Review of 'The white devil' on 'Goodreads'
The White Devil
A play reliant on intricate family relations and a web of lust, deceit, ambition and vengeful urges to rival any play I've ever come across. It has the classic elements of its genre - murder, ghosts, play-within-a-play, revenge - but it feels different in some important respects. There's a whole conspiracy of revengers, most of whom seem nearly or equally as reprehensible as the play's blatant villains and some of whom appear to get away unpunished. There's only a half change of rule to restore sanity and righteousness - and it's not clear whether the next generation really will turn out any better. Even more pessimistic than its antecedents.
Who's the White Devil? (A devil in disguise, considered more dangerous than an openly evil person.) Could be Vittoria, Bracciano, Flamineo - but I'm proposing Monticelso, the vengeous Cardinal with a book full of the names of criminals, …
The White Devil
A play reliant on intricate family relations and a web of lust, deceit, ambition and vengeful urges to rival any play I've ever come across. It has the classic elements of its genre - murder, ghosts, play-within-a-play, revenge - but it feels different in some important respects. There's a whole conspiracy of revengers, most of whom seem nearly or equally as reprehensible as the play's blatant villains and some of whom appear to get away unpunished. There's only a half change of rule to restore sanity and righteousness - and it's not clear whether the next generation really will turn out any better. Even more pessimistic than its antecedents.
Who's the White Devil? (A devil in disguise, considered more dangerous than an openly evil person.) Could be Vittoria, Bracciano, Flamineo - but I'm proposing Monticelso, the vengeous Cardinal with a book full of the names of criminals, classified by type, who gets a murderer pardoned so he can use him for more murder, and ends up elected Pope.
I should go see a performance of this.