Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy: A Study of The Spanish Tragedy and Titus Andronicus

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this thesis is to compare two early Elizabethan revenge tragedies, Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy and Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, in light of the recent critical re-evaluation of these two plays. I have chosen to examine these plays according to three distinct topics: the imagesof nature used by Kyd and Shakespeare; the theme of justice and the dramatic convention of the revenger's madness.</p> <p>I propose that The Spanish Tragedy and Titus Andronicus are not simply the crudely constructed plays that they were once thought to have been, but that Kyd and Shakespeare present their audiences with a compelling portrait of the individual caught up in an age of crisis. The method used in this thesis is to focus primarily on the protagonists' vision of society in both plays and show how this vision changes substantially by the conclusion. Both Hieronimo and Titus undergo a radical psychological transformation during the course of their respective plays. Although it has frequently been said that the revenger's madness results from his excessive grief over the loss of his children, I think this is only part of the entire story. In both The Spanish Tragedy and Titus Andronicus the protagonists originally possess a belief in the benevolence of nature and also demonstrate their faith in earthly justice; but they are forced to re-think these beliefs when they and their families become the victims of brutal crimes.</p> <p>Through this thesis I hope to show that The Spanish Tragedy and Titus Andronicus are far from being mere entertainment for the masses, and that they present an artistic vision of the virtuous individual trying to come to some understanding of the nature of his own corrupt society.</p>