Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, and the Spanish Tragedy, Research Paper Example

The historical impact of English Renaissance Theater, often called Elizabethan theater, warrants a study of some of the major works produced by the institution.  Many literary scholars argue that the essence of the art form still contributes to its modern counterparts.  Two recurring themes in the works of the genre include that of tragedy and that of revenge.  What follow is a comparison and a contrast of the literary styles of two authors in three of their works.  Here, we conduct an analysis of the literary style of Shakespeare in Hamlet and Titus Andronicus as well as Thomas Kyd’s in The Spanish Tragedy with respect to the themes of revenge and tragedy.  The main stylistic similarities and differences reviewed will be those directly related to literary tools.

All of these works share certain stylistic similarities.  As revenge tragedies, they each have an element of controversy.  During they time in which they were written, revenge was not seen as a legitimate solution to problems (Koumakpai 71).  In this way, each author expresses a vein that was decidedly antisocial by the nature of the prevailing society.  Next, each piece included a scene or scenes of gore (Koumakpai 72).  That is, each included a spilling of blood either as an act of revenge or while the character or characters sought vengeance (Koumakpai 71).  Although these works were seen as morally deviant by many, the fact is that tragedy was always included as part of the overarching theme (Koumakpai 72).  Either the characters were involved in such emotionally, socially or politically tragic situations or the revenge act itself ended in a tragedy.  These are perhaps the most striking similarities that may be identified within the styles of the writers.  Nevertheless, there are also salient differences.

These differences usually have to do with the outcome of the revenge act or a change in the character as a result.  Perhaps the major difference between Hamlet and his revenge tragedy counter-parts is that Hamlet’s revenge is so delayed as to make it ineffectual (Jamieson).  This only adds to the tragedy as a whole, and earns Hamlet recognition as one of the most tragic characters in literature.  Furthermore, Shakespeare uses the appearance of Hamlet’s father as a ghost in each of the five scenes to underscore the dramatic nature of the events (Jamieson).  Another major difference in Shakespeare’s writing is in Titus Andronicus (Koumakpai 72).  Although the crux of the revenge is in-familial fighting as it is in Hamlet, it is purely political for Titus (Koumakpai 74).  Shakespeare details this point so clearly as to use the word “Rome” more often than the word was actually used in authentic classic Roman plays (Koumakpai 76).  In The Spanish Tragedy, the crux of revenge is love (Delahoyde).  The victim of assassination in battle, the soul of Andrea is returned is judged in the underworld to be unfit for any area because of his dual status as a lover and fighter (Delahoyde).  As such, he is returned to Earth where he exacts vengeance and is returned to the underworld anyway (Delahoyde).  This sort of irony is not uncommon among works of the genre, but it is never as explicit as it is in this work. These are some of the main stylistic differences between Kyd and Shakespeare and their respective dramas.

As these differences and similarities are underscored, it is interesting to note how some of the elements are mirrored in modern media. So much of what is produced in drama these days is contingent upon some dramatic end to a questionable problem where death, insanity, and the hereafter often prevail over the revenging soul. Here, an analysis of the literary style of Shakespeare in Hamlet and Titus Andronicus as well as Thomas Kyd’s in The Spanish Tragedy with respect to the themes of revenge and tragedy has been conducted.  Two recurring themes in the works of the genre include that of tragedy and that of revenge.  The historical impact of English Renaissance Theater, often called Elizabethan theater, warranted a study of some of the major works produced by the institution.  Many literary scholars have argued that the essence of the art form still contributes to its modern counterparts.  A comparison and a contrast of the literary styles of two authors in three of their works were conducted.

Work Cited

Koumakpai, Taofiki.  “Revenge Tragedy in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Titus Andronicus”.  Sciences sociales et humaines.B, 007(2006):71-78. Print.

Delahoyde, Michael.  “The Spanish Tragedy.” public.wsu.edu.  Washington State University, n.d.  Web.  18 June 2011.  <http://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/shakespeare/spanish1.html>

Jamieson, Lee.  “Revenge in Hamlet.” About.com Shakespeare.  About.com, n.d.  Web.  18 June 2011.  < http://shakespeare.about.com/od/hamlet/a/hamlet_revenge.htm>