‘The Spanish Tragedy’ (1)

‘The Spanish Tragedy’ (1)

Characteristics of Renaissance Tragedy • Like Greek Tragedy the tragic hero is flawed. At the heart of Renaissance tragedy there are instigators of ruin/downfall (this represents fears and anxieties about the way society may go – Machiavellian).

Revenge • REVENGE is taken into the tragic hero’s own hands. There is, however, still a sense of resignation – a sense that there is no control over one’s fortune. • When Hieronimo takes revenge is he really taking his own initiative or is he subject to higher forces?

Spiritual Authority • As in Greek Tragedy there is still the presence of higher or larger forces; however... • There is a questioning of spiritual authority (who is in control of the acts of revenge – the individual or God?). • A court of law punishes. • Social forces govern what happens (rather than God). • The Spanish Tragedy gives us cause to question spiritual authority. Have the Gods withdrawn from human affairs? Hieronimo appeals to the Gods, but his appeal falls on deaf ears. • At the beginning of the play there is a letter dropped from the sky (is this sarcasm?). Comedy has a puncturing effect by making a mockery of things which people take seriously – is the play making the tragic point that the higher forces that many of us want to believe in are not active?

Power and Control • Each character in the play may think they have control; however all are subject to someone else’s control. • Framing of one audience by another by another (God watching us watching the play).

The Rational • This is quite a significant characteristic of Renaissance Tragedy - there is a need for reason and justification (unlike in ‘The Bacchae’ where there is no need for tribunals or discussions before an act of revenge is carried out – irrational).

Recognition and Realisation • In Renaissance Tragedy (like Greek Tragedy) there is a moment of RECOGNITION or REALISATION. However, note that in ‘The Bacchae’ there is no confession - the main characters have no knowledge of doing wrong – this is shown to them by the Gods. In ‘The Spanish Tragedy’, on the other hand, there is an explicit confession (this is typical of Elizabethan tragedy).

The Individual • Renaissance Tragedy is much more about the individual. Masks are not used. The play is about man’s relation to each other (rather than man’s relation to the Gods). Very individualistic – is this reflective of the period?

Act 1 Scene 1 • Andrea – a courtier having an affair with a higher ranking woman – secret. Andrea goes to war and then dies and is buried at sea. • Asks the gods for letters of protection which allow him to wander as a ghost. • Revenge is a character – a tangible thing – personified. • Andrea did not choose Revenge – this was chosen by Prosperpine – Queen of the underworld. • Queen of the underworld is showing Andrea what happened and why he died (King of Portugal). • What could you say about power and control or spiritual authority here?

Act 1 Scene iii • Let fortune do her worst – no control over fortune – resignation to fortune. • The Viceroy’s complaint of Fortune contributes to the play’s preoccupation with justice and retribution. • Villuppo – explicit confession typical of Elizabethan tragedy.

Act 1 Scene v • In this scene Revenge is distant from the character Andrea; however at the same time is acting on behalf of Andrea – disconnected but also linked. What might you say about this?

Act 2 Scene ii • This scene provides an account of what has happened leading us to (and attempting to) justify revenge in a rational way. How does this reflect the Renaissance period?

For HWK • Re-read 3.5.1 1-18 (‘Enter Boy with Box’) • What themes/issues, present in the play as a whole, do you think this scene illustrates? How would you get these themes/issues across through: kind of stage; use of stage space; set design; lighting; costume; movement; gesture and intonation

‘The Spanish Tragedy’ (1)