English Literature / Unit 6 ENL 0519 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Kyd and the Revenge Tragedy
Captions available
The idea
Thomas Kyd's Spanish Tragedy, about fifteen eighty-five, imitated Marlowe's blank verse and set the pattern of the revenge play: a crime, a ghost or call to vengeance, the avenger's delay or madness, a play within the play, and a bloody end. Hamlet uses the pattern.
In practice
Crime, ghost, delay, play, bloodbath.
Where people slip
Kyd once shared lodgings with Marlowe.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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