Within John Webster's
works, "The Duchess of Malfi" and "The White Devil", there are many messages about the results and
realities of chivalry. Within these two
works there is constant interplay between
courtly reward and courtly desertion, with issues of class extremely volatile subjects. This paper shows, using Webster's works as examples, that the issue of courtly love in Renaissance drama is one utterly surrounded by high emotion, intrigue, and secrecy.