The Duchess of Malfi
/ðə ˌdʌtʃəs əv ˈmælfi/
/ðə ˌdʌtʃəs əv ˈmælfi/
- a play (1613) by the English writer John Webster about a woman who marries against the wishes of her two powerful and cruel brothers. It is a dark story of evil and guilt, expressed in great poetry. All the main characters die in the end.