The Duchess of Malfi portrays brutal acts of oppression towards the female protagonist, as any status and power gained by her title ultimately serve to limit her autonomy.
Tragic Echoes: A Reading and Writing Workshop on The Duchess of Malfi
Workshop Overview:
This workshop focuses on reading The Duchess of Malfi while connecting it to key motifs in tragic literature. Each session highlights a motif, supported by public domain texts, followed by guided writing activities.

Session 1: Power and Corruption
Primary Text: Comparative Text: Discussion Focus:
  • How does unchecked power lead to moral decay and tragedy?
  • The Duchess vs. Macbeth: responses to power and corruption.
Writing Prompt:
Write a monologue from the Duchess or Macbeth contemplating their relationship to power.

Session 2: Fate and Human Agency
Primary Text: Comparative Text: Discussion Focus:
  • Are the Duchess and Oedipus victims of fate or their own choices?
  • Explore tragic irony in both texts.
Writing Prompt:
Compose a dialogue where the Duchess meets Oedipus and they discuss the role of fate in their downfalls.

Session 3: Madness and Psychological Collapse
Primary Text: Comparative Text: Discussion Focus:
  • The Duchess and Ferdinand: how madness is portrayed internally and externally.
  • Madness as both performance and breakdown in Hamlet and Malfi.
Writing Prompt:
Write a psychological profile of either Ferdinand or Hamlet, exploring how madness shapes their decisions.

Session 4: Gender, Power, and Patriarchy
Primary Text: Comparative Text: Discussion Focus:
  • How do the Duchess and Medea challenge male-dominated power structures?
  • Tragic consequences of asserting female autonomy.
Writing Prompt:
​Craft a short scene where the Duchess and Medea debate the cost of defying patriarchal norms.

Session 5: Violence and Death
Primary Text: Comparative Text: Discussion Focus:
  • The spectacle of death and violence in revenge tragedies.
  • Compare the violent climaxes of The Duchess of Malfi and The Spanish Tragedy.
Writing Prompt:
Write a eulogy for the Duchess or Hieronimo (from The Spanish Tragedy), focusing on how violence defined their fates.

Session 6: Corruption of the Court and Society
Primary Text: Comparative Text: Discussion Focus:
  • How does corruption erode familial and societal bonds in Malfi and Lear?
  • Analyze motifs of betrayal and political instability.
Writing Prompt:
Draft a letter from Lear to the Duchess advising her on surviving court corruption.

Session 7: The Role of Supernatural and Ominous Symbols
Primary Text: Comparative Text: Discussion Focus:
  • How are omens and supernatural elements used to foreshadow tragedy?
  • Cardinal’s death vs. Faustus’ damnation.
Writing Prompt:
Write a scene blending Malfi and Faustus where ominous supernatural signs drive the characters’ fears.

Wrap-up Activity:
Students will create a short tragic play scene using at least three motifs discussed in the sessions (e.g., fate, madness, violence).
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