The Functions Of Villains In Webster’s Revenge Tragedies

Written by John Webster,The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi are two classic revenge tragedies that have long been applauded for their vivid depiction and profound pathos,while at the same time being regarded as morally decadent by some critics due to a plot suffused with crime and horror.The key to the comprehension of Webster’s dramatic world lies in his villains.However,although prejudices against this type of character have been gradually abandoned in the past few decades,no sufficient studies have been systematically carried out concerning their functions.Employing the methodology of formalist criticism,this thesis calls for a review of villains’ functions through an analysis of reoccurring expressions,imageries or patterns of the plays,in the hope of providing an alternative interpretation of the texts and their moral vision.The thesis contains an introduction,three chapters and the conclusion.Following the introduction part where fundamental facts about the playwright,his works and critical inheritage are briefed,the first chapter strives to clarify the denotation and connotation of the core concept “villain,” meanwhile circling out eligible subjects for the ensuing discussion.The second chapter focuses on the multiplicate ambiguity of villains and how it has transferred the two plays into an arena of moral conflicts.The fact that villains act as the touchstone of real virtue reveals an emphasis on moral choice and the self-fulfillment of virtue,as it has to be earned through constant battling with villainy.The third chapter compares the retributive mechanism of the two plays with that of previous revenge tragedies,pointing out that by making tool villains the triplicate deputy of evil,God,and the playwright himself,Webster had reconciled the discrepancy between religious and secular notions of revenge,thus freeing virtuous characters from the consequent moral dilemma.Hence,despite having portrayed a dark world of moral decay,the two plays still manifest an optimism bordering on theodicy because of Webster’s unique arrangement of villains.