Casting About: Staging Context Through the Archive

Interior of the library of the University of Leiden, dated 1610

Many of the posts thus far, as well as the critical readings we have discussed, have drawn from primary documents to not only provide historical context for the plays, but also, perhaps more significantly, to consider what the plays tell us about their historical moment. One of the key principals at work in the discipline of English is that we should always be productively complicating our understanding of early modern culture and experience by putting the archive and the drama in conversation. For this week, you are in charge of finding a primary source that casts some light on The Duchess of Malfi (and we have discussed how much this tragedy cries out for illumination).

As you delve into EEBO, try to focus on what you find interesting or perplexing about the play. The source you choose need not “map” onto the play directly; it is your job to account for the purchase you think it offers on Webster’s complex and unsettling drama. You may upload an image and / or a textual selection to the blog to fulfill this assignment. Please make sure to provide a citation for it, and then describe in a few sentences why you think it is pertinent. Happy hunting!