Historical & Cultural Contexts

Understanding the historical and cultural contexts of The Duchess of Malfi (1613) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) is essential for comparative analysis. Webster's Jacobean tragedy reflects early modern England's anxieties about class, gender, religion, and political power, while Williams's modern American drama responds to post-war disillusionment, changing gender roles, and the decline of the Old South. Both plays are products of their specific historical moments, yet they speak to enduring human concerns about power, violence, sexuality, and suffering.

Comparative study requires recognizing both continuities and changes across three centuries. Some patriarchal structures persist (sexual double standards, male violence against autonomous women, economic control); others transform (from spectacular sovereign power to bureaucratic disciplinary power, from religious to secular worldviews, from fixed class hierarchies to capitalist mobility). This section explores the distinct contexts shaping each play and the comparative framework for understanding how historical change affects dramatic representation.