John Webster
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Webster, John
Bibliography
See his works (ed. by F. L. Lucas, 4 vol., 1927); studies by C. Leech (1951, repr. 1970), R. Berry (1972), R. F. Whitman (1973), L. Bliss (1983), and C. Forker (1986).
Webster, John
Born 1580(?); died 1625 (1634?). English dramatist.
Webster received a legal education. Upon succeeding Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre, Webster proclaimed himself the heir to Shakespeare in the Foreword to The White Devil (1609–13, staged 1612; Russian translation, 1916). However, Webster’s plays, such as the tragedies The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi (1612–14, staged 1623; Russian translation, 1959), were a reaction to Shakespeare’s humanism, a kind of reversion to the pre-Shakespearean tragedy of revenge. Nevertheless, Webster displayed a sophisticated psychological skill in presenting his characters. His forte was the depiction of unexpected changes in emotion and concern for the tragic in life. Webster’s comedy The Devil’s Law Case (1616–22) and the “scholarly tragedy” Appius and Virginia (1608–30) have historical literary importance. Webster collaborated in writing a number of comedies with T. Dekker and other dramatists.
WORKS
The Complete Works, vols. 1–4. Edited by F. L. Lucas. London, 1927.REFERENCES
Istoriia angliiskoi literatury, vol. 1, fasc. 2. Moscow, 1945. Page 124.Anikst, A. “Sovremenniki Shekspira.” In the collection Sovremenniki Shekspira, vol. 1. Moscow, 1959.
John Webster. Edited by B. Morris. London [1970].