English 434
Dr. Desmet
Spring 1997

This play is usually classified as domestic tragedy, a label that puts the focus on Arden's role as husband to a bad wife. From a different perspective, however, this play is more of a love tragedy, like The Duchess of Malfi. The question remains: why is Alice in love with Mosby? Or is she attached to Mosby for other reasons? What leads these small-town people to murder?