100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

The White Devil

3.61 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 2,334 ratings, 120 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The White Devil is a Jacobean tragedy weaving adultery, intrigue, murder and revenge into a complex narrative. The play delves into power struggles, social hierarchy, and gender politics within a corrupt political world. It also examines how theatre's skillsβ€”disguise, performance, and character interpretationβ€”mirror the survival tactics in a society rife with hidden motives.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2299
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in early modern drama, Jacobean theatre, and classic tragedies exploring societal and political themes. Suitable for students, scholars, and lovers of Shakespearean and Renaissance literature.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A major new edition of Webster's dark and morally complex tragedy.

A major new edition of Webster's dark and morally complex tragedy.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Adultery, intrigue, murder, revenge: the densely-packed plot of The White Devil touches on topics that are representative of the atmosphere of Jacobean tragedy. Part tragedy, part satire of a corrupt political world, the play explores the relations of the powerful to the disempowered; the opportunities and constraints of women trying to survive in a male-dominated society; the complex distribution of social hierarchy by birth, wealth, gender, race; and the way the skills licensed by the theatre itself – including disguise and both the performance and interpretation of character – become crucial survival skills in a world of hidden motives and concealed intentions.

Now comprehensively re-edited, with an introduction that addresses issues of performance, cultural and historical context, and interpretation, exploring the dark energy that has impelled audiences and scholars to return to this play again and again across four centuries.

Arden Early Modern Drama editions offer the best in contemporary scholarship, providing a wealth of helpful and incisive commentary, guiding the reader to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the play.

This edition provides:

  • A clear and authoritative text
  • Detailed on-page commentary notes
  • A comprehensive, illustrated introduction to the play’s historical, cultural and performance contexts
  • A bibliography of references and further reading

ARDEN EARLY MODERN DRAMA
General Editors: Suzanne Gossett, John Jowett and Gordon McMullan
Visit the Arden website at www.ardenshakespeare.com

Series: Arden Early Modern Drama

View all
  • The Duchess of Malfi
    The Duchess of Malfi is one of the major tragedies of the early modern period and remains popular in the theatre as well as in the classroom. The story of the Duchess's secret marriage and the cruel revenge of her brothers has fascinated and appalled audiences for centuries. This new Arden edition offers readers a comprehensive, illustrated introduction to the...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Philaster
    Philaster is a tragicomedy by Beaumont and Fletcher which has much in common with Shakespeare's late plays such as The Winter's Tale. Set in a fictionalised Sicily, it has the complex plot of love, disguise, and the threat of death much loved by early modern theatre-goers. This edition provides an authoritative, modernised text by a leading scholar with detailed on-page...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Spanish Tragedy
    A major new edition of Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy, an outstanding landmark of Elizabethan drama. In its time, it quickly became a box office success and probably inspired Shakespeare to write Hamlet, as it contains a ghost, murders that demand revenge and a hero that hesitates and contemplates suicide. As a revenge tragedy, it set up the salient features...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Volpone, Or, The Fox
    Volpone, Or, The Fox is Ben Jonson’s great parable of greed, self-interest and inheritance. Using animal fable to satirise the wealthy and the greedy, it remains one of his most distinctive and compelling dramatic works. Jonson wrote the play for performance in 1606, and orchestrated its publication the following year. In it, the wealthy Venetian Volpone pretends to be on...
    Paperback
    $4099
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Dutch Courtesan
    The Dutch Courtesan is a riotous tragicomedy that explores the delights and perils afforded by Jacobean London. While Freevill, an educated young Englishman and the play's nominal hero, frolics in the city's streets, taverns and brothels, Franceschina, his cast-off mistress and the Dutch courtesan of the play's title, laments his betrayal and plots revenge. Juxtaposing Franceschina's vulnerable financial position against...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Tragedy of Mariam
    The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry is a Jacobean closet drama by Elizabeth Tanfield Cary. First published in 1613, it was the first work by a woman to be published under her real name. Never performed during Cary's lifetime, and apparently never intended for performance, the Senecan revenge tragedy tells the story of Mariam, the second wife...
    Paperback
    $4099
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The White Devil
    Adultery, intrigue, murder, revenge: the densely-packed plot of The White Devil touches on topics that are representative of the atmosphere of Jacobean tragedy. Part tragedy, part satire of a corrupt political world, the play explores the relations of the powerful to the disempowered; the opportunities and constraints of women trying to survive in a male-dominated society; the complex distribution of...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • 'Tis Pity She's A Whore
    A fully modernised, annotated edition of Tis Pity She's a Whore, Ford's controversial tragedy of sibling incest and complex revenge plots. As with all Arden editions, detailed on-page commentary notes help the student understand and appreciate the play both in performance and as a many-layered literary text. The lengthy, illustrated introduction offers a wealth of critical and contextual information about...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Edward II
    Vivid and daring in Marlowe’s time and ours, Edward II has captivated generations of readers, audiences, and performers with its evocative portrayal of passionate friendship, kingly power, and brutal retribution. Leading scholar Jeffrey Masten’s new edition of Marlowe’s great tragedy distils its importance for the history of queer sexuality, historical drama, and modern performance alike. Drawing on new research into...
    Paperback
    $3899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Arden of Faversham
    Based on the true story of the murder of Thomas Arden by his wife, her lover and accomplices in 1551, Arden of Faversham is one of the earliest domestic tragedies and a play which has continued to thrill audiences since its first staging. This comprehensive edition situates the play in its social, cultural and political context while exploring its performance...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Woman Killed With Kindness
    The most studied of Thomas Heywood's plays, A Woman Killed With Kindness explores the boundaries of marital punishment and the moral weight of mercy. This major new edition of this startling domestic tragedy offers the standard, depth, and range associated with all Arden editions. The on-page commentary notes explain the language, references, and staging issues posed by the text while...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Everyman and Mankind
    Everyman and Mankind are morality plays that mark the transition from the medieval period to the early modern era, with their focus on the individual. Everyman follows a man's journey towards death and his efforts to secure a life thereafter, whilst Mankind depicts a man battling with temptation and sin, often with great humour. Both texts are modernised here and...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781904271741

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 December 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: The Arden Shakespeare

Contributors:

  • Edited by Benedict S. Robinson

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 416g

Pages: 376

About the Author

Benedict S. Robinson is Associate Professor at Stony Brook University, USA

Also by John Webster

View all
  • The Duchess of Malfi
    The Duchess of Malfi is one of the major tragedies of the early modern period and remains popular in the theatre as well as in the classroom. The story of the Duchess's secret marriage and the cruel revenge of her brothers has fascinated and appalled audiences for centuries. This new Arden edition offers readers a comprehensive, illustrated introduction to the...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Animal Welfare
    An Accessible Overview of the Concept of Sentience Throughout the Animal Kingdom and Why It Matters to Humans Animal Welfare explores the concept of sentience and the development of sentient minds throughout the animal kingdom. The work provides improved definitions and analysis of the ideas of sentience, cognition, and consciousness, along with evidence of advanced mental formulation in birds, fish,...
    Paperback
    $23699
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Duchess of Malfi
    This new edition of Webster’s macabre masterpiece, The Duchess of Malfi, is accompanied by insightful commentary notes and a detailed introductory analysis of the play written by Karen Britland, making this the perfect edition for students. As well as the complete text of the play, this revised New Mermaid edition includes: A detailed plot summary and annotations throughout the text...
    Paperback
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Duchess of Malfi
    "Neill's edit of the play is very well done. … If there's a more knowledgeable or erudite unraveling of the play, I haven't seen it." -Steve Sohmer, Comitatus This Norton Critical Edition of John Webster's 1612–13 tragedy offers a newly edited and annotated text together with a full introduction and illustrative materials intended for student readers. The Duchess of Malfi's...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Four Revenge Tragedies
    Francis Bacon described revenge as a β€˜kind of wild justice’. Then as now, early modern playwrights and their theatre-going public were fascinated by the anarchic energies that a desire for retribution unleashes. Rather than rehearsing familiar conventions, each of these plays presents a unique social and cultural milieu where dark fantasies of revenge are variously played out. In Kyd’s The...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    Hardback
    $5500
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    New Release
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • They Bloom Because of You
    Bestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood - the hard, the magic and the fleeting. β€˜A raw and honest read that makes you feel seen and understood in a way that will bring you to tears.’ - Hilary Swank β€˜A book to keep close and...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Leaves of Grass
    A collectible new Penguin Classics series offers beautiful, slim, clothbound editions of ten favourite poets. In 1855, Walt Whitman published his first collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. The volume received great praise from leading Transcendentalist poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This encouragement led to what would become a lifelong project, as Whitman expanded and rewrote the volume until his death...
    Hardback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Great Writers and the Cats who Owned Them
    Throughout history, cats and writers have bonded together in a magical combination of comfort, companionship and inspiration. The famous authors featured here range from Samuel Johnson, whose cat Hodge dined on oysters, and Edward Lear, whose charismatic cat Foss was missing half his tail, to Margaret Mitchell, L. M. Montgomery and Dorothy L. Sayers, who rescued her kitten Blitz from...
    Hardback
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Beautiful Chaos
    The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller Selected poems from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'These words awaken the magic of life by celebrating the ordinary.' - Giovanna Fletcher Motherhood is messy and beautiful, and hard and humbling. We adore our children and sometimes we miss ourselves. Beautiful Chaos is a collection of raw, honest poems about motherhood, capturing everything...
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • To the Women - The New Collection of Wise Words Every Woman Needs
    THE COMPLETELY UPDATED COLLECTION WITH OVER 70 BRAND NEW POEMS, FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES NO.1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF WILD HOPE AND WORDS TO LIVE BY 'Amazing . . . Donna's words speak to my heart' Davina McCall To the Women is a celebration of the beauty, strength, and joy of being a woman. A love letter to our deep capacity...
    Hardback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Wreck This Journal: Now in Colour
    The creative journey continues with Wreck This Journal: Now in Colour by Keri Smith, the latest and most vibrant edition of the groundbreaking series that redefined journaling. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this edition brings the playful destructiveness of the original to life in dazzling full colour, adding a dynamic new dimension to the beloved prompts. Whether you're a seasoned Wreck-er,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Thousand Feasts
    THE INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER From award-winning writer Nigel Slater, comes a new and exquisitely written collection of notes, memoir, stories and small moments of joy. 'Nigel Slater’s prose is the rarest delicacy of all: exquisite yet effortless, filled with heart, tenderness, yearning and humour' ELIZABETH DAY For years, Nigel Slater has kept notebooks of curiosities and wonderings, penned...
    Paperback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Did I Ever Tell You This?
    In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.