John Webster

Webster, John

Webster, John, 1580?–1634, English dramatist, b. London. Although little is known of his life, there is evidence that he worked for Philip Henslowe, collaborating with such playwrights as Dekker and Ford. Webster's literary reputation rests almost entirely on his two great tragedies, The White Devil (c.1608) and The Duchess of Malfi (c.1614). Violent and sensational, both plays treat the theme of revenge and generate a brooding, somber mood. Webster's highly poetic language and profound understanding of human suffering create a true tragic pathos and force.

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).

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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

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].

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.