The Spanish Tragedy

crimes are avenged”. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) Revenge is a selfish act, done for one’s own satisfaction. Vengeance is an often-selfless duty to see justice done and thus the nobler act. The first is driven by desire and the second by duty. Thomas Kyd’s 1592 play The Spanish Tragedy, focusing on the core themes of revenge and the problems of justice. The notion of revenge, as a desire for revenge versus justice…

He questions the existence itself, tormented by a life he did not desire for himself, or others. The gravedigger scenes represent the comic part of the tragedy before the denouement. It functions as a “comic relief” and it is in strong connection with the previous meditation on suicide in “To be or not to be” soliloquy. The main theme of the scene is still death but in a different perspective. The gravedigger function as the designated Clown, as he speaks his mind not being afraid of losing…

Revenge Proves Its Own Executioner From the beginning of humanity until now, wanting revenge against a person who one feels has wronged them is a natural sentiment that has remained a normal part of society. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, young prince Hamlet is surrounded by his most of his friends and family members seeking revenge, both on him and on each other. Interestingly, one person’s plan for retribution escalates into two other people wanting the same thing. The first act of…

REVENGE offers an intriguing world of warriors, Kings, betrayal, murder, and revenge. The script presents as a dramatic, epic tale driven by the need for vengeance. While the idea of a deeply rooted plot of revenge has merit, the script would benefit from more development. One of the major concerns about the plot is the structure, as well as identifying the true protagonist that drives the storyline. Initially it’s challenging to identify the true hero. Given the opening with Kolaib…

Over half of all murders are motivated by revenge, according to a study of crime in New York City (Murder in New York City, 2010). And for what? While the initial act of revenge may provide satisfaction, its ramifications are detestable, ranging from prison to even a death sentence. Avenging a past wrong, no matter how noble the cause, rarely ends pleasantly. Because of this, authors use vengeful characters to teach readers about the idiocy of seeking retribution. Take Sir Thomas Malory, for…

To be Mad or Not to be Mad? That is the Question. Have you ever thought of yourself as a tragic hero? A tragic hero a great character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for defeat. “ According to the critic, a tragic hero has three prominent characteristics: (1) a will-power that surpasses that of average people, (2) an exceptionally intense power of feel- ing, and (3) and unusually high level of intelli- gence.”(George Detmold 219) With being a tragic hero, come a tragic flaw. A tragic flaw…

Jamie Nguyen English I Honors Mrs. Reedy 4 October 2015 Dantes’s Revenge According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the definition of revenge is “to avenge (as oneself) usually by retaliating in kind or degree, or “to inflict injury in return for.” The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is an intricate story written about obsession and revenge. Falsely accused for treason and also being a Bonapartist, Dantes was arrested on the day of his wedding. He was imprisoned on the island…

Audience Engagement in Macbeth Tragedies such as Macbeth have engaged and fascinated audiences for centuries. Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Macbeth depicts the ill-fated journey of Macbeth, a brave and loyal soldier, who murders several innocent people to become King, and is soon after killed himself. The play engages the audience, which is defined as “occupying and maintaining the interest or attention of the audience. Through the use of characterisation, narrative structure and figurative…

The perfect plan for revenge, a simple plan that not even the simplest of jesters could figure out. Have you ever wished you could… dispose of someone who has caused you a thousand injuries? Several murders are committed every single day here in California, and every one of them has a motive behind it. What’s the motive, you may ask? Perhaps… revenge. The Cask of Amontillado was written by Edgar Allan Poe and is a short story horror. The Cask of Amontillado is the story of a man named Montresor…

Retaliation. A crucial yet vicious way of making someone feel content about an offense against the other. It is a reaction that many of us seem to take into our own hands, whether that is being physically, mentally or emotionally done. Throughout Shakespeare's play, there is one character that stands out as the embodiment of revenge. His name is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Prince Hamlet is a young man who goes through some devastating times throughout his life. Those times result a…