Revenge…with a touch of ludicrous
Comments(5) My initial response to the end of this play was: “Did that really just happen?” Did Vindice really succeed in killing the Duke, then convince Lussurioso that he wasn’t Piato, gain his trust, convince him that Piato murdered his father and ran off, murder Lussurioso by blending in with masque disguises, have the entire royal line kill each other as a result, and then be sentenced to death by Antonio because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut?!
The little “aside” comments that Vindice makes throughout the play make it clear that he thinks rather highly of himself, and after the whole plot resulting in the entire royal family being murdered, I (grudgingly) agreed with him, luck or no luck. Therefore, while the end was a relief because Vindice was too arrogant to be likable, it was also downright shocking in a distasteful manner. The idea that his own big mouth sends him to his death is just…funny.
This play was (to put it lightly) over the top. It’s not enough for Vindice need to attain his revenge by murdering the Duke; he needs to kill Lussurioso as well. While ambition is a trait that should certainly be prevalent in royal households, does everyone need to want to kill their siblings/dad to run the show?
On a final note, I’m not really sure why that comet was introduced. If this was a sort of foreshadowing of Lussurioso’s impending death, I’d have to call it a bit clumsy.
I agree with you that this play was a little over the top and that Vindice goes beyond of what is nececarry to get his revenge, but as you mentioned he is very ambitious and just a simple revenge would not suffice in his eyes. He had to go all the way, make all miserable in the name of vengance. I also believe that the fact he gets caught by opening his mouth was not coincidental. I somehow believe that Vindice admits to the plot because he is simply so proud of himself that in a weird way he demands a credit for all. He wants people to know it was him that plotted the whole thing because this is what people with revenge have in common- it is not sweet enough until those that hurt them know what it was for and where it came from, but also they want others to know that the wrongs have been corrected. Vindice wants all to know because he is proud of what he did and also a little arrogant, which in the end turns out tragically for him.
I loved that it was over the top. The ludicrous ending seemed to me to be a parody of how revengers often kill themselves or are done in at the end of the play. Killing everyone off again mocks revenge tragedy cannon with more people than necessary getting killed (I can’t help but think of Bel-Imperia here). And the “clumsy,” as you call it, foreshadowing seems to be mocking the element of the mystical in these types of plays. Overall, I think that the play needs to be read with the idea that it’s a tragedy in mind in order to make the elements funny and ultimately make more sense.
I have to agree with Nicole here. I think that this play is in many ways a parody of the revenge tragedies before it, so when read, one can associate the “clumsy” and “over the top” instances with the seriousness in which those moments appear in its earlier predecessors, and ultimately laugh about it. A more literal expression of the hyperbolic moments that appear in this play is the skeleton scene, which yes indicates insanity (an imp. convention in the play), but also borders on ridiculous. With this said… the “touch of ludicrous” statement in your post title is certainly appropriate.