The Spanish Tragedy (New Mermaid Series)

Rating:
Summary: peter kline is full ...
Review: Hey everyone! Don't even bother paying ANY attention to the ...peter kline spouted in his horrendous review of The Spanish Tragedy. Shakespeare wrote Kyd's masterpiece? Give me a break! And I suppose you're also going to say that Shakespeare secretly wrote Marlowe's plays as well, right? Kudos to Mr. Richard for being a well-informed reader of the English Classics! And as for Mr. Kline, you should do some research ...

Rating:
Summary: Excellent edition, excellent play
Review: J.R. Mulryne's edition of *The Spanish Tragedy* is without a doubt the best that may at present be bought: informative, helpful, intelligent and accurate in introducing the text, presenting it, and glossing difficult words and phrases where necessary. The play is among the most exciting and artistic of its period. Kyd writes, and constructs his plot, with a level of skill comparable to that of Shakespeare, who was much influenced by *The Spanish Tragedy*, particularly in writing *Hamlet*, which is possibly yet "richer", but undoubtedly less clear and focused. Kyd shows us in an extremely sophisticated way the workings of revenge, both at an earthly and at a supernatural level. From the beginning the audience knows, in a way that the characters do not, that the supernatural world will insist on revenge. The pain of those who suffer injustice here on earth and clamour for revenge is painful to behold. Ultimately, however, in a baffling way, evildoers are punished: Hieronimo, the main character, manages to take matters into his own hands after exhausting all other possibilities, and thus ironically enacts the wishes of the higher powers. The FORM of Hieronimo's revenge is extraordinarily interesting: under the cloak of art - of a theatrical plot - he manages to kill his evil opponents quite easily. The tension between "art" and "life" is thus handled by Kyd in a very innovative fashion which still shocks modern spectators and readers. The role of language, too, is called into question: much of the play demonstrates that in real life finally action does speak louder than words, which often do not make their point or simply get ignored. Any reader who wants to get a notion of the superb quality of plays written by Shakespeare's contemporaries is certain to admire and enjoy this striking work of art. - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University, South Australia

Rating:
Summary: New Mermaids Edition is Excellent - Good Footnotes
Review: This is my first reading of The Spanish Tragedy. I often encountered references and comparisons to this play by Thomas Kyd, but I was only marginally aware that it had been a remarkably popular Elizabethan revenge melodrama.

The reader may stumble a bit with its Elizabethan English as well with unfamiliar topical allusions. Likewise, the reader may not immediately recognize the significance of certain dramatic conventions, such as a noose and dagger are symbols of impending suicide. But all in all, The Spanish Tragedy is not a difficult play to read and study.

The Spanish Tragedy did not resonate with me as do many plays by Shakespeare. The characters are less complex, the plot is not always plausible, and the emotional impact is more muted. The Spanish Tragedy is not a masterpiece, but it is undeniably an interesting play and one that warrants reading for more than its historical value.

The editing by J. R. Mulryne in the New Mermaids edition is superb. His introduction is scholarly, but not excessively detailed. Thomas Kyd, born a few years before Shakespeare and Marlowe, is today known for this single play. His other works no longer exist. There is uncertainty regarding the exact date that Kyd wrote The Spanish Tragedy, but it was performed in 1592. It is unusual in that no direct source for this play has been discovered; the plot appears to be largely a creative invention of Thomas Kyd.

The prologue by the ghost of Andrea, the significant role of Revenge, and the scenes in the underworld of Roman mythology all illustrate that Thomas Kyd's dramatic style was highly influenced by the works of the Roman dramatist Seneca. Furthermore, in the plot itself the gods of the underworld play a key role in ensuring that the death of Andrea is revenged. Kyd offers frequent quotations in Latin, many from Seneca. Fortunately, Mulryne provides helpful translations.

The footnotes come in two forms. The first provides definitions for unfamiliar or archaic words, or words whose meanings have changed significantly. The second offers explanations of plot subtleties, differences in interpretations by experts, and possible influences on later plays (especially Hamlet) of Shakespeare and other dramatists.