The Spanish Tragedy
by Thomas Kyd

Name: The Spanish Tragedy
Brand: Thomas Kyd
SKU: 9780713667929
Rating: 3.55 (7865 reviews)

The Spanish Tragedy Book Cover — The Spanish Tragedy Cover

Highlights

British

What readers are saying

Readers appreciate the historical significance and rich language of the play, noting its role as a precursor to many later works, including Shakespeare's tragedies. Many highlight its captivating themes of revenge and the complexity of its characters, despite some critiques regarding pacing and clarity. The play's dark tone and dramatic elements seem to resonate well with audiences, making it a memorable experience for fans of the genre.

Rich language and poetic styleHistorical significance in dramaCaptivating themes of revengeEngaging and entertaining storyPacing can feel slow at timesSomewhat confusing plot points

Synopsis

The first fully-fledged example of revenge tragedy, the genre thatbecame so influential in later Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, TheSpanish Tragedy (1589) occupies a very special place in the history ofEnglish Renaissance drama.

Hieronimo, Knight-Marshal of Spain duringits war with Portugal, fails to obtain justice when his son is murderedfor courting Bel-Imperia, the Duke of Castile's daughter, and decidesto take justice into his own hands.

In a scene replete withmeta-theatrical implications, Hieronimo and Bel-Imperia stage a playletwith Portuguese and Spanish nobles as actors, stabbing them with real'fake' daggers before they kill themselves.

This edition, which appendsthe scenes that were added in 1602, discusses Elizabethan attitudes torevenge, the Senecan features of the play and the significance of theAnglo-Spanish conflict in the 1580s.