Cheap The Spanish Tragedy (New Mermaids) (Book) (Thomas Kyd, J. R. Mulryne) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Spanish Tragedy (New Mermaids)

The Classic Revenge Tragedy
There have been great controversies over whether The Spanish Tragedy is the greatest English play to have ever been composed, or rather a fantastic counterfeit of past playwrights. Either way, this revenge tragedy delves into the realm of human suffering and selfishness while searching for answers in the heavens or in the wicked wheel of Fortune. While some characters are a bit melodramatic, one must be aware that melodrama was one of the few ways to properly express emotion on the Elizabethan stage. It's a quick read, but not for the light of heart or mind when dealing with the fanciful language and tranfers between long and even-redundant soliloquies and sporadic stichomythia. Don't expect this to be any sort of heart-warming play; there's a reason it's called a tragedy.

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New Mermaids Edition is Excellent - Good Footnotes
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.

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peter kline is full ...
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 ...