The Spanish Tragedy

Lorenzo is portrayed as a devious, scheming character, often described as a “Machiavellian villain.” Explore this term. To what extent do his actions fit this description? How does he compare to other famous Machiavellian villains in Early Modern drama, such as Iago from Shakespeare’s Othello?

Throughout The Spanish Tragedy are plays-within-the-play: masques and dumb shows orchestrated by Hieronimo and Revenge, and the final production of Hieronimo’s play, as well as Hieronimo’s climactic Tragedy of Soliman and Perseda. What is the point of these plays? How do the characters use them to make cultural commentary, to enforce the themes of The Spanish Tragedy, and to accomplish revenge?

Throughout the play, Hieronimo appears to experience periods of mental illness. However, there is evidence that this illness may be feigned. What might Hieronimo’s purpose be for faking a mental illness? Based on the evidence presented in the play, do you believe his irrational behavior is an act, or has grief over the loss of Horatio truly caused him to experience symptoms of a mental illness?

Bel-Imperia and Isabella are the sole female characters in a play dominated by men. Both of these characters’ lives end in death by suicide. What does this say about female agency in courtly life in Kyd’s play? To what extent are these characters able to claim agency in the context of the men whose decisions dominate their lives?

Discuss the portrayal of grief in The Spanish Tragedy. How do different characters cope with loss, and what does the play suggest about the transformative power of grief? Focus on characters such as Hieronimo, Isabella, and Bel-Imperia, analyzing how their responses to the deaths of their loved ones shape their actions and motivations.

Consider the significance of revenge in The Spanish Tragedy. To what extent is revenge portrayed as a morally justifiable response to wrongdoing, and how does the play complicate the ethics of vengeance?

Describe the political background between Spain and Portugal as depicted in The Spanish Tragedy. How does the relationship between these two kingdoms drive the plot of Kyd’s play? Consider the war described by Andrea and the Spanish General, the role of the ambassador, Balthazar’s reception in the Spanish Court, and the proposed wedding between Balthazar and Bel-Imperia.

The 1602 folio publication presents additions to Kyd’s original text of The Spanish Tragedy which greatly alter our perception of Hieronimo. How do these additions add to the story of the play? How does taking them out influence the themes the play explores?