The Revenger’s Tragedy (1607) – Thomas Middleton
Jacobean Revenge Tragedy, this play belongs to the second generation of the English Revenge Tragedy.
The Senecan tradition brought to English
First performed in 1606, Published in 1607 by George Eld, a printer of the Jecobean era who died in 1624.
For years the text was thought to be written by Cyril Tourneur, but at present is attributed to Thomas Middleton.
The tragedy was rediscovered and later performed as a black comedy.
According to critic Jonathan Dollimore, the play parodies the challenges orthodox Jecobean beliefs about providence and patriarchy.
The play can be interpreted from the context of gender roles, three female characters are the only lead in the play: The Duchess, Castiza and Gratiana.
The play deals with necrophilia. necrophilia is sexual intercourse with or attraction towards corpses.
The play is written in five acts.
Characters:
Vindice, the revenger, frequently disguised as Piato (both the 1607 and 1608 printings render his name variously as Vendici, Vindic, and Vindice, with the latter spelling most frequent; in later literature Vendice[3]).
Hippolito, Vindice’s brother, sometimes called Carlo
Castiza, their sister
Gratiana, a widow, and mother of Vindice, Hippolito, and Castiza
The Duke
The Duchess, the duke’s second wife
Lussurioso, the duke’s son from an earlier marriage, and his heir
Spurio, the duke’s second son, a bastard
Ambitioso, the duchess’s eldest son
Supervacuo, the duchess’s middle son
Junior Brother, the duchess’s third son
Antonio, a discontented lord at the Duke’s court
Antonio’s wife, raped by Junior Brother
Piero, a discontented lord at the Duke’s court
Nobles, allies of Lussurioso
Lords, followers of Antonio
The Duke’s gentlemen
Two Judges
Spurio’s two Servants
Four Officers
A Prison-Keeper
Dondolo, Castiza’s servant
Nencio and Sordido, Lussurioso’s servants
Ambitioso’s henchman
Plots:
Act I
The play opens with a monologue that looks back at past events and anticipates the future events . The monologue is of Vindice, who is determined to take revenge and elaborates on the corruption in court.
Vindice recalls his fiance’s recent death being poisoned by the lustful Duke nine years ago. Vindice wants to take revenge.
Vindice’s brother informed him that Lussuriso, the Duke’s heir by his first marriage, asked him to fetch a young virgin he wanted to corrupt. The two brothers, Vindice and Hippolito, decide that Vindice will go to Lussurioso in disguise of “Pioto” and take revenge.
By the time lord Antonio’s wife has been raped by the new Duchess’s youngest son Junior.
Junior admits his guilt but he is not ashamed of his deed rather cracks jokes on the incident.
But the Duke to everyone’s surprise suspends the proceedings and holds his judgment.
The other sons of the new Duchess, Ambitious and Supervaco, promised to free Junior.
The Duke was cuckold by the Duchess, as Spurio,the Duke’s bastard son, agrees to love her but later on declared to her in private that he actually hates the Duchess, her sons, Lussurioso and the Duke.
Vindice, in disguise of “Piato” tells Lussurioso that the virgin he desires is Hippolito’s sister, Castiza, Piato also says the Castiza’s mother would accept a bribe and be a “bawd to her own daughter”.
Vindice, promised to kill Lussurioso, but decides to stay in disguise and put his mother and sister to the test of their virtue by offering tempting wealth and fortune. Castiza proved to be honest and virtuous and denies to all the offerings but his mother fall for an offer of gold.
Duke Antonio’s wife commits suicide and Antonio displays her body to the mourners.
Hippolito swears all those present to avenge her death.
Act II
Vindice in his disguise reported to Lussurioso that Castiza’s resistance is somehow managed to break. And Lussurioso decides to sleep with her that night.
Hippolito and Vindice, by chance, overhear a servant tell Spurio that Lussurioso intends to sleep with Castiza “within this hour.” Spurio rushes away to kill Lussurioso in flagrante delicto(Latin for in the very act of committing a misdeed).
A moment later Lussurioso himself enters, on his way to Castiza, but Vindice deceptively warns him that Spurio is bedding the Duchess.
Angered, Lussurioso rushes off to find Spurio and bursts into the ducal bedchamber, only to find his father lawfully in bed with the Duchess.
Lussurioso is arrested for attempting treason; in the excitement, Hippolito and Vindice discreetly withdraw.
The Duke, seeing through Ambitioso and Supervacuo pretended reluctance to see Lussurioso executed, dispatches them with a warrant for the execution of his son “ere many days,” but once they have gone he gives a countermanding order for his son’s release.
Act III
Ambitioso and Supervacuo set off directly to the prison to order the instant execution of Lussurioso. Before they arrive however the Duke’s countermanding order is obeyed and Lussurioso is freed.
Ambitioso and Supervacuo arrive at the prison and present the Duke’s first warrant to execute, in their words, “our brother the duke’s son.”
The guards misinterpret these words, taking instead the youngest son out to instant execution.
Meanwhile, Vindice is hired again as a pander – this time by the Duke himself.
His plan is to procure the Duke an unusual lady – a richly clothed effigy, her head, the skull of Vindice’s beloved, is covered with poison.
The meeting is in a dark and secret place near where the Duchess has arranged a meeting with Spurio.
The Duke is poisoned by kissing the supposed lady and is subsequently stabbed by Vindice after being forced to watch the Duchess betray him with Spurio.
Ambitioso and Supervacuo, still confident that Lussurioso has been executed, both look forward to succeeding the throne in his place.
A freshly severed head is brought in from prison. Assuming it is Lussurioso’s, they are gloating over it when Lussurioso himself arrives, alive. They realize to their dismay that the head is the youngest son’s.
Act IV
Lussurioso tells Hippolito he wants to get rid of “Piato,” and asks if Vindice (of whom he knows only by report) would replace him.
Hippolito assents, realizing that Lussurioso would not recognize Vindice without a disguise. Vindice gets his new mission – to kill “Piato”.
Hippolito and Vindice take the corpse of the Duke and dress it in “Piato’s” clothes, so when the corpse is found it will be assumed that “Piato” murdered the Duke then switched clothes with him to escape.
Vindice and Hippolito confront Gratiana for her earlier willingness to prostitute Castiza bringing her to repentance.
Act V
The scheme with the Duke’s corpse is successful and the Duke’s death becomes public knowledge.
Vindice and Hippolito lead a group of conspirators which, shortly after the installation of Lussurioso as Duke, kills the new Duke and his supporters.
A second group of murderers including Supervacuo, Ambitioso, and Spurio then arrives; they discover their intended victims already dead, and then turn on and kill each other.
The dying Lussurioso is unable to expose Vindice’s treacheries to Lord Antonio. Exhilarated by his success and revenge, Vindice confides in Antonio that he and his brother murdered the old Duke.
Antonio, appalled, condemns them to execution.
Vindice, in a final speech, accepts his death.
