THE SPANISH TRAGEDY

THOMAS KYD

Done by: Lim Ji En Ian, Soh Hui Jun Theodora, Chee Jia Yi Elizabeth, Lim Jia Hui

Politics and Politicians in The Spanish Tragedy

By James T. Henke

Key IDEAS

Hieronimo had a choice Did not need to take revenge into

his own hands Civil and divine justice exist in the

world of the play He could have tried to pursue justice instead of plotting murder

Revenge (the character) is not controlling events, Hieronimo made

his own choices

Hieronimo Had a Choice Civil Justice Exists:

The Spanish King is wise and fair, would have listened to Hieronimo

“Erasmian mould of ideal Christian ruler” (Henke 359)

In The Education of a Christian Prince, Erasmus says "A king has this one interest: to foster peaceful relations between his subjects” (qtd. in Henke 359)

Reference to story of Solomon shows the King’s wisdom (I.i)

King listened to both Horatio and Lorenzo’s testimony

Distributed the spoils from Balthazar’s capture fairly

Hieronimo Had a Choice Civil Justice Exists:

Contrasted with Viceroy’s unfair treatment of Alexandro (I.iii)

Did not gather evidence or listen to Alexandro, believed Villuppo’s accusation

Made a hasty, emotional decision

Throughout the play, the King attempts to foster peace between Spain and Portugal

As Knight Marshal, Hieronimo himself is an agent of civil justice

Divine Justice Exists:

Providence delivers evidence to Hieronimo

Hieronimo pleads for divine help and Bel-imperia’s letter falls in front of him (III.ii)

Hieronimo is given Pedringano’s letter which confirms Bel-imperia’s letter (III.vii)

Hieronimo Had a Choice

Revenge lets Hieronimo make his own choices

Personified Revenge merely observed

Hieronimo had other options available to him, Revenge could not/did not prevent this

Hieronimo Chose Revenge

Alexandro was freed by “divinely influenced civil justice” (Henke 369)

Hieronimo was aided by divine justice and could have tried to get civil justice from the King, especially with his position as Knight Marshal

However, he chose to take revenge into his own hands

Spain, Tragedy and the spanish tragedy

By Steven Justice

Key ideas

Rivalry between Protestant England (Elizabethans) and Catholic Spain

The contrasting teachings of the Old Law and New Law

Revenge as part of human nature

Spain, Tragedy, and The Spanish Tragedy Steven Justice

Rivalry between England and Spain (religious differences)

Propaganda about Catholicism was spread to portray Spain negatively

Catholicism was associated with revenge

e.g. Barbaric practices like the “Old Law”

Protestantism, in contrast, associated with mercy

e.g. The “New Law”

"Old Law" and "New Law" have different ideas of revenge

The Old Law Avenge your own grievances

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…”

Exodus 21:24

Based on the Old Testament and Moses’ teachings

The New Law Leave revenge to God

“Vengeance” is reserved for God

Romans 12:19-21

Based on the New Testament Jesus’ teachings

The New law: Romans 12:19-21

"Dearly beloued, auenge not your selues, but giue place vnto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine: I wil repaye, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemie hunger, fede him: if he thirst, giue him drinke: for in so doing, thou shalt heape coles of fyre on his head. Be not ouercome of euil, but ouercome euil with goodness."

Spain, Tragedy, and The Spanish Tragedy Steven Justice

The article gives good religious and political background of Spain and England

However, the article does not address the positive portrayal of the Spanish King

Elizabethans were made to disapprove of revenge for political purposes

Association with Catholic Doctrine

i.e. Spain and Catholicism were the problem

Revenge can still be a part of human nature

Love and Strife in Kyd’s Spanish Tragedy Sacvan Bercovitch

Bercovitch links revenge to Empedoclean philosophy

Revenge as a part of the cycle of life thus it is human nature

OUR Response

Hieronimo chooses to pursue personal revenge despite other

options being available to him. This undermines the relevance of Protestant doctrine (which

disapproves of revenge). The prejudices against revenge in

Elizabethan society are political constructs which go against human

nature.

Revenge: Part of Human Nature Revenge (character)

Looming presence in the background symbolically shows its ubiquity

Expresses confidence that Andrea will get his revenge (albeit indirectly)

Implies that revenge is intrinsic to human nature

e.g. Andrea’s death is “avenged” by Bel-Imperia who was avenging Horatio (IV.iv.59-67)

“BEL. [acting] Tyrant, desist soliciting vain suites; Relentless are mine ears to thy laments As thy butcher is pitiless and base Which seized on my Erasto, harmelesse knight. Yet by thy power thou thinkest to command, And to thy power Perseda doth obey; But, were she able, thus she would revenge Thy treacheries on thee, ignoble prince; Stab him. And on herself she would be thus revenged. Stab herself”

Revenge: Part of Human Nature

Hieronimo Revenge superceded his courtly identity as a Knight Marshal (Judge)

e.g. Lost his temper in court (III.xii.57-67)

e.g. He will indirectly carry out revenge on behalf of Andrea (III.xv.21-28)

e.g. Plots to murder both Balthazar and Lorenzo (IV.i.182-189)

“EM. Now last, dread lord, here hath his Highness sent— (Although he send not that his son return) His ransom due to Don Horatio. HIERO. Horatio? who calls Horatio? KING. And well remembered, thank his Majesty. Here, see it given to Horatio. HIERO. Justice! O justice! justice, gentle king! KING. Who is that? Hieronimo? HIERO. Justice! O justice! O my son! my son! My son, whom naught can ransom or redeem! LOR. Hieronimo, you are not well advised.”

“ Rev.. Sufficeth thee that poor Hieronimo Cannot forget his son Horatio. Nor dies Revenge although he sleep awhile; For in unquiet, quietness is feigned, And slumbering is a common worldly wile. Behold, Andrea, for an instance how Revenge hath slept; and then imagine thou What ‘tis to be subject to destiny. Enter a Dumb Show. [they act and exeunt]”

“HIERO. It must be so; for the conclusion Shall proue the invention and all was good. And I myself in an oration, And with a strange and wondrous show besides,

That I will have there behind a curtain, Assure yourself, shall make the matter known. And all shall be concluded in one scene, For there’s no pleasure ta’en in tediousness.”

Revenge: Part of Human Nature

Lorenzo Revenge superceded his courtly identity as the Duke’s son/Nephew to the King

e.g. Plots and murders Horatio (II.iv)

“LOR. My lord, away with her, take her aside. O sir, forbear, your valour is already tried. Quickly despatch, my masters. They hang him in the arbour. HOR. What, will you murder me? LOR. Ay, thus, and thus; these are the fruits of loue! They stab him.”

Revenge: CRITICIZING ELIZABETHAN PREJUDICES

Direct critique of scripture

Hieronimo (III.xiii.1-6)

Subverts scripture by invoking it.

Points out flaws

Passivity of waiting upon “God”

Immediacy of taking revenge into one’s own hands

“The safe way with crime is more crime.” (Seneca’s Agamemnon)

Revenge: CRITICIZING ELIZABETHAN PREJUDICES

“ HIERO. Vindicta mihi. Ay, heaven will be revenged of euery ill, Nor will they suffer murder unrepaid: Then stay, Hieronimo, attend their will, For mortal men may not appoint their time. ‘Per scelus semper tutum est sceleribus iter.’ Strike, and strike home, where wrong is offered thee;”

Revenge: CRITICIZING ELIZABETHAN PREJUDICES

Indirect critique of scripture

Isabella (IV.ii.1-38)

Passivity of waiting upon “God”

Immediacy of taking revenge into one’s own hands

Cuts down the arbour

Curses the plants

Curses her own body

Commits suicide

“Isa. Since neither piety nor pity moves The king to justice or compassion, I will reuenge myself upon this place, Where thus they murdered my beloued son. She cuts down the arbour. Down with these branches and these loathsome boughs Of this unfortunate and fatal pine: … I curse this tree from further fruit, So shall my womb be cursed for his sake; And with this weapon will I wound this breast, She stabs herself. That hapless breast that gaue Horatio suck.”

Is there artistic consistency in the play?

Despite our response, some may still argue that the things that occur are random

Pointing out that the author made artistic errors

The following two articles help to explore if the play is indeed random after all

"the unity of the

spanish tragedy"

herbert coursen

Existence of coherent pattern which may not be obvious in the play as we read

Framework which portrays the reason for vengeance

Key ideas

"Love and strife in kyd's

spanish tragedy"

sacvan bercovitch

Empedocles

Empedocles Traditional Greek physical theory: Everything is made up

of four elements

Fire

Earth

Water

Air

 The dialectic conflict between love and strife provides the structural basis of The Spanish Tragedy

○  Dramatizes the love-strife dualism in various forms

Key idea

Love & Strife Framework

- Friendship & Revenge

- Peace & War

- Desire & Hate

Empedocles PATTERN - KEY CONCEPTS in love & strife

The forces of Love and Strife cause variation in these elements

Love combines them

Strife separates them

Things come to be and pass away because of these elements

Two-part symmetrical cosmic cycle, which endlessly repeats itself

Explains the delay of action at the beginning and the chaotic end of the play as an extension of this pattern

Works Cited Bercovitch, Sacvan. “Love and Strife in Kyd's Spanish Tragedy" Studies in English Literature, 9.2 (1969):

215-229. Print.

Coursen, Herbert. “The Unity of "The Spanish Tragedy"” Studies in Philology, 65.5 (1968): 768-782. Print.

Henke, James. “Politics and Politicians in "The Spanish Tragedy"" Studies in Philology, 78.4 (1981):

353-369. Print.

Justice, Steven. “Spain, Tragedy, and The Spanish Tragedy" Studies in English Literature, 25.2 (1985):

271-288. Print.

Kyd, T. (2009). The Spanish Tragedy (Third ed.). London: A & C Black Limited.

Parry, Richard. "Empedocles." Stanford University. Stanford University, 4 Mar. 2005. Web. 5 Oct. 2015.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT 1.  In light of the political conflict between England and Spain (at the time), why is the Spanish King still portrayed as

potentially just?

2.  Some critics have accused the play of being inconsistent. Here are some examples of this.

a.  Hieronimo’s distrust towards the legislative system despite being part of it

i.  Finding Horatio’s corpse (“In revenge my heart would find relief”) (II.v)

b.  Castille’s death (IV.iv)

c.  King’s violent change of personality

i.  Threatens torture (IV.iv)

Do you agree with them? Why or why not?