Literature Companion: The Revenger's Tragedy

By History World

The play presents a vivid and frequently violent picture of lust and ambition in an Italian court. The tone of the play is satiric and cynicism of Jacobean tragedy is quite noticeable.

Some time before the restoration of the theatres in 1660, “The Revenger’s Tragedy” lost its appeal and it fell out of favor. However, it was revived in the 20th century. The modern directors and audiences admired the play’s affinity, though it was written about four centuries earlier.

Literature Companion: The Revenger's Tragedy
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Summary
Act I
Act II
Act III
Act IV
Act V
Chapter Three: Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Act I
Act II
Act III
Act IV
Act V
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: May 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310040917

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Literature Companion: The Revenger's Tragedy

History World

Copyright

Literature Companion: The Revenger's Tragedy

History World

Copyright@2014 History World

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Chapter One: Introduction

The Revenger’s Tragedy is a Jacobean revenge tragedy. The play was first performed in 1606 and it was first published in 1607.

When it was first published, Cyril Tourneur was said to have authored it, but now it is accepted that it was written by Thomas Middleton.

The book was first published by George Eld.

The play presents a vivid and frequent violent picture of lust and ambition in an Italian court. The tone of the play is satiric and cynicism of Jacobean tragedy is quite noticeable.

Some time before the restoration of the theatres in 1660, The Revenger’s Tragedy lost its appeal and it fell out of favor. However, it was revived in the 20th century. The modern directors and audiences admired the play’s affinity, though it was written about four centuries earlier.

English revenge plays were quite popular in the sixteenth century, and the present play can be put under the second general of revenge plays in England. Senecan design which was introduced to English drama by Thomas Kyd was retained in The Revenger’s Tragedy.

In Senecan design it generally happens to be a young man determined to avenge his elder’s death. In The Revenger’s Tragedy instead of an elder, it is a lover, Gloriana. A powerful older man had caused her death. The avenger plans to take revenge on the older man. He tries morally questionable means, however, he finally succeeds in avenging the murder of his lover, but he loses his own life as well in a bloodbath.

During that period, corruption was very high in James I’s court. It was generally assumed. The dissatisfaction was obvious in the general public and this dissatisfaction influenced the plots of the tragedies written during that period. Courtly intrigues were manipulated and adapted into different plays by several writers.

By 1606, the audiences were more interested in court-based tragedy with a change in dramatic taste towards the satiric and cynical. This trend had begun before the death of Elizabeth I.

Since verse satire was banned in 1599, some poets made their career in dramaturgy. A lively sense