Webster, John (1580?-1625?), an English playwright, is noted for two tragedies, The White Devil (completed about 1612) and The Duchess of Malfi (completed about 1613). Essentially, both plays deal with the common Elizabethan subject of revenge. But their power lies in the complexity of the characters’ motives for acting as they do, the physical horror of the situations, and poetic dialogue which many consider second only to that of William Shakespeare. The plays show the world as corrupt and immoral. However, Webster used dramatic action to register the glimmer of hope expressed by all tragic writers for the restoration of moral order.
Webster was born in London. Little is known of his life. He wrote or collaborated in writing more than a dozen plays and entertainments, and his works were apparently popular with audiences.
