[.uk] The Spanish Tragedy (New Mermaids) (ISBN 0713667923)

Book Description:
New Mermaids are modernized and fully-annotated editions of classic English plays. Each volume includes: • The playtext, in modern spelling, edited to the highest bibliographical and textual standards • Textual notes recording significant changes to the copytext and variant readings • Glossing notes explaining obscure words and word-play • Critical, contextual and staging notes • Photographs of productions where applicable • A full introduction which provides a critical account of the play, the staging conventions of the time and recent stage history; discusses authorship, date, sources and the text; and gives guidance for further reading. Edited and updated by leading scholars and printed in a clear, easy-to-use format, New Mermaids offer invaluable guidance for actor, student, and theatre-goer alike.

Download Description:
This version of Kyd's work does not include the modernized spellings, etc.

New Mermaids footnotes are very helpful - Updated review February, 2008:
The Spanish Tragedy (1592) was a remarkably popular Elizabethan revenge play that substantially influenced other Elizabethan playwrights including Shakespeare. The gruesome, neo-Senecan melodrama, Titus Andronicus, dates from 1594; Hamlet was first performed in 1602. I knew little about The Spanish Tragedy at the time of my first reading (and review) in 2003. In retrospect I failed to appreciate fully Thomas Kyd's Senecan framework, especially the significance of the prologue by the ghost of Andrea, the role of the supernatural Revenge, and the varied scenes in the underworld of Roman mythology - all found in the first act. I am not certain whether I even realized that the ghost Andrea and Revenge remained on stage throughout the play, invisible to the actors, but clearly visible to the audience. I wrote that although I was confused with intervention of pagan gods and that the numerous murders seemed excessive, I still considered Kyd's tragedy warranted four stars. Having recently returned to The Spanish Tragedy (as part of a collection of Elizabethan revenge tragedies), I am now much more enthusiastic (a solid five stars). I no longer find the two intertwined plots to be puzzling. I now see the thoughtless injustice suffered by Hieronimo in the Spanish court as mirrored in the random, capricious behavior of the gods: the confusion the deceased Andrea encountered upon entering the underworld, Proserpine's arbitrary, even frivolous suggestion for Revenge to aid Andrea, and the gods's uneven punishments meted out to the murderers of Horatio (and to others only marginally involved with crime). This disturbing parallel reflects Kyd's nihilistic and pessimistic view of life: not even the intervention of the gods offers any assurance of rational justice. New Mermaids edition: The footnotes come in two forms. The first provides definitions for unfamiliar or archaic words, or words whose meanings have changed significantly. The second offers explanations of plot subtleties, differences in interpretations by experts, and possible influences on later plays by Shakespeare ans others. Also, translations are provided for Kyd's frequent quotations in Latin, many from Seneca's writings.

Excellent edition, excellent play:
J.R. Mulryne's edition of *The Spanish Tragedy* is without a doubt the best that may at present be bought: informative, helpful, intelligent and accurate in introducing the text, presenting it, and glossing difficult words and phrases where necessary. The play is among the most exciting and artistic of its period. Kyd writes, and constructs his plot, with a level of skill comparable to that of Shakespeare, who was much influenced by *The Spanish Tragedy*, particularly in writing *Hamlet*, which is possibly yet "richer", but undoubtedly less clear and focused. Kyd shows us in an extremely sophisticated way the workings of revenge, both at an earthly and at a supernatural level. From the beginning the audience knows, in a way that the characters do not, that the supernatural world will insist on revenge. The pain of those who suffer injustice here on earth and clamour for revenge is painful to behold. Ultimately, however, in a baffling way, evildoers are punished: Hieronimo, the main character, manages to take matters into his own hands after exhausting all other possibilities, and thus ironically enacts the wishes of the higher powers. The FORM of Hieronimo's revenge is extraordinarily interesting: under the cloak of art - of a theatrical plot - he manages to kill his evil opponents quite easily. The tension between "art" and "life" is thus handled by Kyd in a very innovative fashion which still shocks modern spectators and readers. The role of language, too, is called into question: much of the play demonstrates that in real life finally action does speak louder than words, which often do not make their point or simply get ignored. Any reader who wants to get a notion of the superb quality of plays written by Shakespeare's contemporaries is certain to admire and enjoy this striking work of art. - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University, South Australia

peter kline is full ...:
Hey everyone! Don't even bother paying ANY attention to the ...peter kline spouted in his horrendous review of The Spanish Tragedy. Shakespeare wrote Kyd's masterpiece? Give me a break! And I suppose you're also going to say that Shakespeare secretly wrote Marlowe's plays as well, right? Kudos to Mr. Richard for being a well-informed reader of the English Classics! And as for Mr. Kline, you should do some research ...

The Classic Revenge Tragedy:
There have been great controversies over whether The Spanish Tragedy is the greatest English play to have ever been composed, or rather a fantastic counterfeit of past playwrights. Either way, this revenge tragedy delves into the realm of human suffering and selfishness while searching for answers in the heavens or in the wicked wheel of Fortune. While some characters are a bit melodramatic, one must be aware that melodrama was one of the few ways to properly express emotion on the Elizabethan stage. It's a quick read, but not for the light of heart or mind when dealing with the fanciful language and tranfers between long and even-redundant soliloquies and sporadic stichomythia. Don't expect this to be any sort of heart-warming play; there's a reason it's called a tragedy.

A glimspe into Shakespeare's workshop:
There is growing evidence that while this play was attributed to Thomas Kyd on the slimmest possible evidence, it is actually an early play of Shakespeare. It's similarity to Hamlet has so often been noted that Kyd is supposed to have written a hypothetical earlier version of Hamlet that has never been shown to exist. The way to figure out for yourself who wrote this play is to read some of it aloud. You'll find that its speaches have a musical quality that echoes those in Henry V (which may have been written at about the same time). Also, compare one of its early scenes with a very similar one in Macbeth. The more you read this play aloud, considering the music of its poetry rather than just its imagery and thematic strucure (it's very early Shakespeare) the more you're likely to be struck that here is a masterpiee forgotten (except to scholars) that is worthy of frequent theatrical performance. Perhaps you'll be moved to produce it yourself.