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The Spanish Tragedy

The Spanish Tragedy. Melissa Gorski & Anne Stone. Kyd’s life. Born in London on November 6, 1558 Lived a very discreet life; he was a private man Connections to Spanish Tragedy Social class, class mobility Life reflects his work. Battle of Alcantara.

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The Spanish Tragedy

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  1. The Spanish Tragedy Melissa Gorski & Anne Stone

  2. Kyd’s life • Born in London on November 6, 1558 • Lived a very discreet life; he was a private man • Connections to Spanish Tragedy • Social class, class mobility • Life reflects his work

  3. Battle of Alcantara • Historical events are mirrored in the play • Victorious battle of Spain over Portugal • Battle which seems to be represented in the play “Was’t Spanish gold that bleared so thine eyes That thou couldst see no part of our deserts? Perchance because thou art Terceira’s lord, Thou hadst some hope to wear this diadem, If first my son and then myself were slain:” (1.3.80-84)

  4. Writing Career • Known for creation of revenge tragedy on stage • The Spanish Tragedy is the only play that critics safely assume is written by Kyd. • Others learned: • Revenge plot • Doubt as a motive • Play within a play • Various themes

  5. Ur-Hamlet • A lost play written before 1589 • Critics claim Shakespeare’s Hamlet is based on “Kyd’s Ur-Hamlet” • Many similarities between Hieronimo and Hamlet • suggest that Shakespeare read Kyd’s plays POSER!

  6. Relationship to Marlowe

  7. …Oops, that was the wrong Marlowe • Controversy: Did Marlowe set up Kyd? Did Kyd return the favor? • Cutts: “The Spanish Tragedy thus identifies the revenger as a kind of author and writing is one of the weapons available to him”

  8. Revenge Tragedy • Drama is which the dominant motive is revenge for real or imagined injury. • Who has real injury? • Who has imagined injury?

  9. Seneca • Revenge drama originally comes from the tragedies of Seneca • Influences Elizabethan drama • Moralist • Speeches • “Moralized pattern of crime and punishment” • Heavenly justice

  10. Society’s definition of revenge • Justice affected directly on a person or a family without the intervention of civil authorities • “Divine vengeance” • “Public vengeance” • “Private vengeance”

  11. Role of government • Old system of government • Practiced self-government • An eye for an eye • New system of government • Developed state justice to increase power not to maintain law and order • Crimes avenged by God/King

  12. Audience reaction • Would society be ready for a revenge play that is gruesome and appears immoral?

  13. Death vs. play • Stage and scaffold are closely related • Tyburn sold seats and also rented rooms overlooking the scene • Majority stood around • Hangings: spectacles as tragedy: public theatres • Permanent structures

  14. Hieronimo “That this is fabulously counterfeit, And that we do as all tragedians do: To die today, for fashioning our scene, The death of Ajax or some Roman peer And in a minute, starting up again, Revive to please tomorrow’s audience” (4.4.77-82).

  15. Kyd plays on audiences’ voyeurism - Horatio hanging. - Pedringano hanging. - Villupo presumably tortured and hanged - Hieronimo bites his tongue out.

  16. Gender and marriage - lower social scale members might claim their heart over their wish to rise in class so that their love of a woman would overpower their desire for rank or wealth. - Flip side: advantageous marriages could satisfy personal aspirations for individuals, and this was justified in the time. Choosing rank over love was common. - Men who won women of higher rank over more conventional suitors of higher class could revenge himself upon those who had otherwise humiliated him.

  17. Otherness Upperclass are the others!

  18. Thank you. The End.

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