The Spanish Tragedy

The first fully-fledged example of a revenge tragedy, the genre that became so influential in later Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, The Spanish Tragedy (1589) occupies a very special place in the history of English Renaissance drama. Hieronimo, Knight-Marshal of Spain during its war with Portugal, fails to obtain justice when his son is murdered for courting Bel-Imperia, the Duke of Castile's daughter, and decides to take justice into his own hands... This new student edition has been freshly revised by Professor Andrew Gurr to incorporate the latest stage history and critical interpretations of the play. It also appends the scenes that were added in 1602, discusses Elizabethan attitudes to revenge, the Senecan features of the play and the significance of the Anglo-Spanish conflict in the 1580s.

"The Spanish Tragedie" by Thomas Kyd is a revenge tragedy that captivates audiences with its intricate plot, vivid characters, and powerful themes. Set in the court of King Philip II of Spain, the play follows the story of Hieronimo, a nobleman whose son, Horatio, is murdered by the villainous Lorenzo and Balthazar. Consumed by grief and a thirst for justice, Hieronimo embarks on a quest for vengeance, using cunning and manipulation to uncover the truth behind his son's death. Along the way, he grapples with questions of morality, justice, and the limits of personal agency in a corrupt and unjust world. "The Spanish Tragedie" is renowned for its gripping action, intense emotions, and intricate plotting. Kyd's skillful use of language and imagery heightens the dramatic tension, drawing audiences into a world of intrigue, betrayal, and violence.

Reproduction of the original: The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Spanish Tragedie" by Thomas Kyd. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

Doing Kyd reads Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy, the box-office and print success of its time, as the play that established the revenge genre in England and served as a ‘pattern and precedent’ for the golden generation of early modern playwrights, from Marlowe and Shakespeare to Middleton, Webster and Ford. Interdisciplinary in approach and accessible in style, this collection is crucial in two respects: firstly, it has a wide spectrum, addressing readers with interests in the play from its early impact as the first sixteenth-century revenge tragedy, to its afterlife in print, on the stage, in screen adaptation and bibliographical studies. Secondly, the collection appears at a time when Kyd and his play are back in the spotlight, through renewed critical interest, several new stage productions between 2009 and 2013, and its firm presence in higher-education curriculum for English and drama.

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This handbook of English Renaissance literature serves as a reference for both students and scholars, introducing recent debates and developments in early modern studies. Using new theoretical perspectives and methodological tools, the volume offers exemplary close readings of canonical and less well-known texts from all significant genres between c. 1480 and 1660. Its systematic chapters address questions about editing Renaissance texts, the role of translation, theatre and drama, life-writing, science, travel and migration, and women as writers, readers and patrons. The book will be of particular interest to those wishing to expand their knowledge of the early modern period beyond Shakespeare.