The Duchess Of Malfi homework

I have just started A Level English Literature and I am struggling a bit with my homework about The Duchess Of Malfi. It is finding out about context and the sheet says "There are three ways to apply context: Production, Reception, Biographical" and there are boxes saying stuff like "PRODUCTION: Machiavelli inspiring Renaissance characters" and I have to make notes and find "significance to interpretations of the play or the play in general". There is also another box saying " PRODUCTION: Archetypal Malcontent character- Connect to the Renaissance view of humours"

I am not asking anyone to do the homework for me but would anyone be able to steer me in the right direction with this as it's quite different to GCSE (I got an 8). Also could someone please help me understand what a revenge tragedy is and how this links in with Aristotle's Poetics, and to understand basic Renaissance literature, style, content etc?