The White Devil Genre

Drama (Revenge Tragedy)

Webster's play is a tragedy—more specifically, a revenge tragedy (a hot genre at the time). Simply put, a revenge tragedy is a tragedy about…revenge. Hamlet is a classic example. But revenge is messy—it never works out the way you planned (unless you're Francisco or Monticelso). Sometimes the avenger, like Lodovico, ends up falling victim to his murderous schemes, despite being successful. Hamlet ends up dying at the same time that he finally gets his vengeance, successfully killing his uncle. Other famous examples of the genre include The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe, Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, and The Duchess of Malfi, also by Webster.