Essay on Revenge in Thomas Kyds The Spanish Tragedy

Revenge in Thomas Kyds The Spanish Tragedy Thomas Kyds The Spanish Tragedy (c. 1587) is generally considered the first of the English Renaissance revenge-plays. A rich genre that includes, among others, Hamlet. These plays tend to be soaked in blood and steeped in madness. The genre is not original to the period, deriving from a revival of interest in the revenge tragedies of the Roman playwright Seneca. Nor is it exclusive to the past, as anyone who has seen the Death Wish or Lethal Weapon films can attest. The revenge-play satisfied a deep longing in its audience for simple black-and-white rough justice that seems to be universal. (Watson, 317) While the brutal quest for vengeance drives Kyds play, justice is ultimately its†¦show more content†¦The murder of Horatio in the arbor is abhorrent and terrible, but it is also quizzical. He is hanged and stabbed by Lorenzo, Balthazar, Pedringano, and Serberine. It seems that stabbing him would be not only sufficient but more expedient to the killers than what must be the arduous task of subduing him and hauling him up on the tree branch, a curious way to kill a man unless one considers that Lorenzo and Balthazar are making a point. Horatio is the son of Hieronimo, the Knight Marshal, functionally a civil servant; Lorenzo is the son of the Duke of Castile, and Balthazar the Prince of Portugal. Early on in the play, the King of Spain notes the difference in portfolio: But nephew, thou shalt have the prince in guard, For thine estate best fitteth such a guest: Horatios house were small for all his train. (I.ii. 185- 7) Once the conspirators discover that Horatio is Bel-imperias suitor, Balthazar comments, Ambitious villain, how his boldness grows! (II. ii. 41) Horatio had earned the enmity of both of these men, Balthazar by subduing him in battle, and Lorenzo by contesting his claim to Balthazars capture. These reasons, coupled with Balthazars desire for Bel-imperia, drive them to murder Horatio, but they hang him for the crime of reaching beyond his station. Bel-imperia pleads for his life, claiming that she bore him no love, to whichShow MoreRelatedHamlet and The Spanish Tragedy654 Words   |  3 PagesHamlet and The Spanish Tragedy demonstrate the influence Kyds play had on Shakespeare. The similarities can be seen throughout the plot lines and context of both plays. While using the plays as different tools, both are used for expediting revenge. Shakespeare, through the impact of Kyds play, established and perfected an ideal plot for a play expressing revengeful tragedy. The actions and thought s that Hamlet shows greatly displays many characteristics from The Spanish Tragedy. 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