The White Devil
by John Webster

The White Devil: Genre 1 key example

Genre
Explanation and Analysis:

John Webster’s The White Devil is a classic example of a revenge tragedy, a genre that thrived during the late Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. As is generally the case in a revenge tragedy, the pursuit of vengeance is the driving force of the plot. Characters in the play are primarily motivated by a desire to avenge perceived wrongs and injustices, even as they engage in morally questionable acts themselves. This web of deceit and retribution claims the lives of most of the characters by the end of the play.