The White Devil – 16th/17th Century Revenge Tragedy – John Webster (1580-1634)

1. Revenge Tragedy
2. Full Title: The White Devil; or, The Tragedy of Paulo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Brachiano. With The Life and Death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian Citizen.
3. Premiere: 1612, Red Bull Theatre, Clerkenwell
4. Setting: Padua and Rome, Italy, 1585.
5. Background: Loosely associated with an event in Italy 30 years prior the composition of The White Devil: The murder of Vittoria Accoramboni in Padua on 22 December 1585. Through this play Webster mirrored the curroption of Italy and royal court. Webster based The White Devil on newsletter versions of the story of the killing of Vittoria Accoramboni, while structuring the story on the basis of Democritean and Epicurean philosophy.
6. Characters:
   1. Monticelso – A Cardinal, later Pope Paul IV.
   2. Francisco De Medici – Duke of Florence; in Act V disguised as the Moor, Mulinassar.
   3. Brachiano – Otherwise Paulo Giordano Orsini, The Duke of Brachiano, husband of Isabella, and in love with Vittoria.
   4. Giovanni – Brachiano’s son by Isabella.
   5. Lodovico – Sometimes Lodowick, an Italian Count in love with Isabella.
   6. Antonelli – Ludovico’s friend and conspirator.
   7. Gasparo – Ludovico’s friend and conspirator.
   8. Camillo – Vittoria’s husband, nephew of Monticelso.
   9. Carlo – Attendant of Brachiano, in league with Francisco.
   10. Pedro – Attendant of Brachiano, in league with Francisco.
   11. Hortensio – One of Brachiano’s officers.
   12. Marcello – An attendant to the Duke of Florence; Vittoria’s younger brother.
   13. Flamineo – Vittoria’s brother. Brachiano’s secretary.
   14. Isabella – Francisco De Medici’s sister; first wife of Brachiano
   15. Vittoria Corombona – a Venetian lady, sister of Flamineo. first married to Camillo – afterwards to Brachiano
   16. Cornelia – Mother to Vittoria, Flamineo, and Marcello
   17. Zanche – Moor servant to Vittoria; in love with Flamineo, then Francisco
   18. Ambassadors, Courtiers, Lawyers, Officers, Physicians, Conjurer, Armourer, Attendants, Matron of the House of Convertites, Ladies.
   19. Doctor Julio.
   20. Christophero, One of the line-less “ghost” characters who helps Doctor Julio murder Isabella.
7. Plot:
   1. Count Lodovico is banished from Rome for debauchery and murder; his friends, Gasparo and Antonelli promise to work for the repeal of his sentence.
   2. The Duke of Brachiano has conceived a violent passion for Vittoria Corombona, daughter of a noble but impoverished Venetian family, despite the fact they are both married to other people.
   3. Vittoria’s brother Flamineo, employed as a secretary to Brachiano, has been scheming to bring his sister and the Duke together in the hope of advancing his career, much to the dismay of their mother, Cornelia. The plan is foiled by the arrival of Brachiano’s wife Isabella, escorted by her brother and Cardinal Monticelso.
   4. They are both outraged by the rumours of Brachiano’s infidelity and set out to make the affair public; before that happens Brachiano and Flamineo arrange to have Camillo (Vittoria’s husband) and Isabella murdered.
   5. Vittoria is put on trial for the murder of her husband and although there is no real evidence against her, she is condemned by the Cardinal to imprisonment in a convent for penitent whores.
   6. Flamineo pretends madness to protect himself from awkward suggestions.
   7. The banished Count Lodovico is pardoned and returns to Rome; confessing he had been secretly in love with Isabella, he vows to avenge her death.
   8. Isabella’s brother Francisco also plots revenge. He pens a love letter to Vittoria, intentionally allowing it to fall into the hands of Brachiano, in order to fuel his jealousy. Though at first his plan seems to work, Vittoria manages to convince Brachiano that she is faithful and the two elope.
   9. Cardinal Monticelso is elected Pope and as his first act he excommunicates Vittoria and Brachiano, who have fled Rome. Vittoria and Brachiano, now married, hold court in Padua.
   10. Three mysterious strangers have arrived to enter Brachiano’s service. These are Francisco, disguised as Mulinassar, a Moor, and Lodovico and Gasparo, disguised as Capuchin monks, all conspiring to avenge Isabella’s death. They begin their revenge by poisoning Brachiano.
   11. As he is dying, Lodovico and Gasparo reveal themselves to him. Next, Zanche, Vittoria’s Moorish maid, who has fallen in love with her supposed countryman Mulinassar, reveals to him the murders of Isabella and Camillo and Flamineo’s part in them.
   12. Flamineo is banished from court for the murder of his brother Marcello by Brachiano’s son Giovanni, the new Duke, and sensing that his crimes are catching up with him he goes to see Vittoria.
   13. He tries to persuade her and Zanche to a triple suicide by shooting him, then themselves.
   14. Vittoria and Zanche shoot Flamineo and, thinking him dead, exult in his death and their escape. Much to their surprise, Flamineo rises from the ‘dead’ and reveals to them the pistols were not loaded.
   15. While trying to exact his own revenge on Vittoria, Lodovico and Gasparo then enter the scene and complete their revenge by killing her.
   16. Giovanni and officers come to the scene and the play ends with Giovanni learning of his uncle’s participation in the bloody acts and sending Lodovico off to torture.