Category Archives: Revenge

Bosola; An Almost-Hero is realized?

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Sabrina Esclavon

During Monday’s class, we had a discussion about the terms ‘hero’ and ‘dramatic hero’.  We went on to question who the dramatic heroes are in The Duchess of Malfi.  After doing a bit of research, my better understanding of a tragic hero is that of someone who evokes a sense of pity in the audience, and is also made to endure undeserved misfortunes.  That being said, it is clear that The Duchess is this play’s foremost dramatic hero.  In Act 4, Scene 2, the Duchess is wrongfully fooled into believing that her husband and children have been murdered, thus taking with them her own will to live.  This was orchestrated by the Duchess’ brothers, and carried out by Bosola in an attempt to receive his fair due in the form of an advancement after continually doing the brother’s dirty work.

However, after he has done so and reported back to Ferdinand, he is once again let down.  Now this isn’t meant to evoke any kind of pity in the audience for Bosola, as he seemingly has no moral compass in regards to what he is willing to do for his advancement.  This is also not the first time he has murdered someone, and it is not the first time he has not been given his promised reward.  Having said that, Bosola plays a very important role in the last few scenes in the play.  Although he has multiple motives (revenge, his sense of betrayal), Bosola does perhaps the most valiant action in the play.  He takes it upon himself to confront the Cardinal, bringing death to both him and Ferdinand, while in the process being mortally wounded.  When Antonio spoke of Bosola not reaching his full potential earlier in the play, this final act of boldness comes quite close to what I believe Bosola would have been had he not chosen a darker path.

Posted in Revenge, The Duchess of Malfi, Tragedy | 1 Comment

Fed Fortune

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Melissa Salamat

As I was reading through Volpone and witnessing Mosca’s intelligence and position, I wondered why wasn’t Mosca’s already rich himself? From the start of the play I could tell Mosca held the reins of the whole scheme; all Volpone had to do was think of a plot and lie in bed. Mosca had to be the one on his feet, thinking of minute details in a short amount of time while Volpone acted like a blubbering mess. So why was Mosca still under Volpone’s roof or control for so long if it is clear Mosca’s aware of how a con-artist works? Sure, it could have been because Volpone already had an insurance of wealth that he could live well on for the rest of his life, but if he was so driven to act out Volpone’s antics, it could not have been all too difficult to start his own act? Well then, maybe it was loyalty? However, as the play progressed I could tell Mosca did not want to be under Volpone’s wing forever.

I feel Mosca would never have turned on Volpone if the course of events did not happen in this play. It is partly Volpone’s fault for giving Mosca the opportunity to turn against him, providing Mosca with such a large foothold on his treasures with the will. I believe as Volpone’s tricks started to lose their traction,  Mosca started thinking of a way out. The way Jonson planned out the timeline of Volpone, it all worked out perfectly where the bad guys get their punishment and the good remain free. With such a clean ending, I wonder what would have transpired if Mosca could have gotten away with Volpone’s riches and how far the immoral could succeed.

Posted in Power struggles, Revenge, Volpone | 1 Comment

Almost perfect criminals

Posted on April 16, 2013 by zr126166

There is no such thing as perfect crime because no one is perfect. Volpone and Mosca are the ultimate con artists.  When they work together they can pull off any trick and can deceive anyone, anytime. But both men have their faults and this is what causes their fall. Neither of them recognizes that they achieved everything together and can continue only if they are co-operating. Volpone doesn’t appreciate Mosca and Mosca thinks that he can go on alone without Volpone.

Volpone is brilliant in deceiving people, and also, he is enjoying every moment of his tricks. But like a gambler (that he is) doesn’t know where to stop. He is doing his cons for the act itself, not because of greed. He does love his treasure very much; in a blasphemous way he even replaces God with it at the beginning of the play. But what he really likes is to deceive people, to play with them, to control them and then take away whatever valuable they have. This is above all the treasures that he already has. In fact he is giving away everything to Mosca in his will just to pull his new prank on the greedy “carrion birds” and the “she-wolf.” He has his ultimate trust in Mosca and he would never expect Mosca (or furthermore, anyone) to deceive him. He admires his servant’s brilliance in pulling tricks but he fails to recognize his ambition to be more than his sidekick. Mosca for him is just a device (just like his disguise costumes) that helps him to perfectly pull his tricks.

On the other hand Mosca wants to be recognized as (at least) equal to Volpone. He wants to be a true partner in their business venture of crimes. He is not as obsessed by the act itself as Volpone is. He knows that he is good as a con artist and values himself even above of his master. We can see that he is a real pro when he is covering up after Volpone’s failure with Celia, but his true brilliance comes when he is finally in charge. While he is making the inventory of all the valuables he shows who the real boss is now. He kicks out all of those who thought that they have any chance to inherit anything. (Volpone enjoys the show so much and he fails to recognize what is really going on.) Mosca ultimately fails in the courtroom because of his over-confidence. He thinks that he is in total control now. He got what he wanted; he showed what he is capable of, and finally his master also recognizes that they are equal; he wants half of everything and Volpone willing to give it. Together they would get away this time too, but now Mosca is not cooperating and this leads to their ultimate fall.

Posted in Power struggles, Psychological detail, Revenge, Volpone | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Fine Line Between Justice and Revenge

Posted on February 12, 2013 by tomasza

In Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy, revenge is constantly visible on stage, both as a motif and a character. Kyd attempts to draw the line between justice and revenge in the various subplots that he introduces throughout the play. Revenge is simply the act of getting back at someone for wronging you whereas justice introduces the moral reasoning behind this act. Are all of the characters justified in their pursuit of vengeance? Are some more justified than others?

From the beginning of the play, Andrea seeks revenge against Balthazar, even in death. The audience never sees the actual fight between the two but discovers what happened through various accounts of the event. However, with deception being another prominent theme in this play, it is difficult to trust anyone’s word. It is never made clear if Andrea was in fact unjustly killed by Balthazar making it difficult to determine whether or not seeking revenge against him is justified.

After Horatio is murdered in his own garden, Hieronimo goes out of his way to make sure his pursuit of vengeance against Lorenzo is justified. He even distrusts a letter written in Bel-imperia’s blood and seeks more confirmation. Only after contemplating suicide and learning that the law will not help him does he decide to take matters into his own hands. Through the dialogue and action in the play, Kyd makes it a point that Hieronimo is justified in killing Lorenzo.

In the end it is evident that revenge is God’s job and people who decide to take it upon themselves must pay the ultimate price in doing so.

 

Posted in Revenge, The Spanish Tragedy | 4 Comments

Revenge and Justice: Pivotal Themes In The Spanish Tragedy.

Posted on February 11, 2013 by kc133573

Thomas Kyd’s play, The Spanish Tragedy, portrays an immense amount of revenge and justice. These two themes harbor an intense desire within a majority of Kyd’s characters. Firstly and importantly, the audience is immediately introduced to Don Andrea, and the character of Revenge. Don Andrea relies primarily on Revenge to vindicate his murder. Bel-Imperia, the play’s strong willed female character, seeks a form of revenge and justice for the wrongs that have been done to her. She has loved and lost both Andrea and Horatio at the hands of a murderous act and therefore seeks revenge on Balthazaar that ultimately backfires. Kyd’s Act II opens up a new realm for revenge and justice upon the discovery of Horatio’s murder and lifeless body by his father, Hieronomo. Hieronomo vows to seek revenge on the person who committed this heinous crime and seek justice in the name of his son. At one point in time, Hieronomo considers joining his son in death and committing suicide, but ultimately decides against it in the name of revenge and justice.

Kyd portrays revenge and the act of justice as two pivotal themes in his play, but also in life. Elizabethans, and the readers of the twenty- first century, are both enraptured and familiar with these feelings of revenge and the urge for justice that so easily can harbor within ourselves.

Posted in Revenge, The Spanish Tragedy, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Revenge in The Spanish Tragedy: An Eye for an Eye

Posted on February 11, 2013 by jbajraktari

The Spanish Tragedy is clearly a revenge play, with Revenge even being a character in the play.  A question that has long been debated concerning the play and outside of the context of the play is whether Hiernonimo is morally just in seeking revenge.  One can argue that Hiernomino really had no choice in seeking revenge for his son’s death, since the court would not offer him any help, granted his class status (another theme of the play).

We see Hieronimo’s inner conflict in deciding if he should choose “this way or that way” in Act III, scene xii, when Hiernomino grapples with the options of either taking his own life, or taking the way of revenge and justice for his son’s death.  We see the negative connotations that are ascribed to taking the matter of revenge in one’s own hands in Hieronimo’s soliloquy, where he describes the path of revenge as a path through hell.  Horatio cannot simply take these matters to the king since there are several obstacles in his way, such as his social class and diplomacy.  Lorenzo is nephew of the king of Spain and Balthazar is a prince of Portugal who is a key figure in the negotiation between the two nations, so the possibility of Hieronimo finding justice by the way of the king seems unlikely.

In Act III, scene xiii, again we see Hieronimo struggling with the matter of vengeance.  He exclaims, “Vindicta mihi!” or “vengeance is mine,” and considers leaving the matter of revenge to God.  However, he comes to the conclusion that it is his destiny to find his revenge against his son’s murderers.

Hieronimo is a Knight-Marshal, hence carrying out justice is a part of his job.  Although committing murder is an un-Christian thing to do, it seems to be Hieronimo’s only choice  in a society where you cannot depend on the Crown for justice.

Posted in Revenge, The Spanish Tragedy, Uncategorized | 1 Comment