Résumé
Résumé de La Tragédie espagnole
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À qui s’adresse-t-il ?
This is for readers who love ghost stories, court intrigue, and tales of justice and vengeance. If you enjoy Shakespeare's darker plays, you will find sharp plotting, strong speeches, and one unforgettable father.
De quoi parle ce livre ?
What happens when the law cannot punish a crime and the person wronged is the law? Thomas Kyd built a whole play on that question, and it begins with a ghost who cannot rest. He sits on stage beside a figure called Revenge and watches a Spanish court tear itself apart.
The Spanish Tragedie reached the London stage in the late 1580s. It tells of Hieronimo, the knight marshal of Spain, a judge whose daily duty is to give justice to others. When his only son Horatio is murdered in a garden, he finds that the killers stand close to the throne. It was one of the first great hits of English theatre, and it helped shape later revenge tragedies, including Hamlet. You will meet letters written in blood, a box with nothing in it, and a play staged for a royal wedding.
Dans ce résumé
- 1A ghost and Revenge watch from the stageFree
- 2A victory in Spain and a false grief in Portugal
- 3Lorenzo hunts the secret of his sister's love
- 4A father finds his son and cannot trust the proof
- 5Lorenzo cleans up and Pedringano learns the cost
- 6Grief turns to madness and then to patience
- 7Justice, performance and the shape of the play
Point clé 1 sur 7
A ghost and Revenge watch from the stage
The play opens with a spirit instead of a king. The Ghost of Andrea tells the audience who he was, a courtier who secretly loved a lady called Bel-imperia. He was killed in the recent battle with Portugal, and the man who struck him down was Don Balthazar, the Portuguese prince.
Then he describes his journey. The ferryman Charon will not carry him across until Horatio, the son of the knight marshal, performs his funeral rites. Beyond the gate three judges sit among ten thousand souls, and they cannot agree where he belongs. Minos settles the quarrel by sending him on to Pluto, king of the dead. On the road Andrea sees three paths and takes the middle one. Proserpine, queen of the underworld, smiles on him and whispers to Revenge, who leads Andrea back to the world above.
Revenge promises that Andrea will see Balthazar brought low. The two sit down to watch as a Chorus, speaking between the acts. Andrea grows impatient when he sees his killer feasting among friends. Revenge tells him the corn is still green and the sickle waits for harvest. Each time the plot seems to head one way, they recall that the end is chosen.
The frame tells you that this world is judged from beyond it, so watch for the pattern behind events.
That’s 1 of 7 key points.
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Who’s who
- Hieronimo
- The knight marshal of Spain, a judge and loving father, who seeks justice for his murdered son and finds the court closed to him.
- Horatio
- Hieronimo's brave son, who captures Prince Balthazar in battle and wins the love of Bel-imperia.
- Bel-imperia
- Lorenzo's sister, who mourns Andrea, loves Horatio, and wants revenge on the men who wronged them both.
- Lorenzo
- The duke's cunning son, who wants his sister married to the prince and will use any servant to protect his plans.
- Balthazar
- The Portuguese prince, taken prisoner in the war, who falls in love with Bel-imperia and will not be refused.
- Pedringano
- Bel-imperia's servant, who sells her secrets to Lorenzo for gold and believes his master will protect him.
- Isabella
- Hieronimo's wife and Horatio's mother, whose grief for her son grows wilder as no justice comes.
- The Ghost of Andrea
- A dead Spanish courtier, once Bel-imperia's lover, who watches the play beside Revenge and longs for vengeance on his killer.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 23,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 1 h 35 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 13 other languages
Questions about La Tragédie espagnole
What is The Spanish Tragedie about?
It follows Hieronimo, the knight marshal of Spain, whose son Horatio is murdered by powerful men. When the court will not give him justice, he plans a revenge of his own, while a ghost and Revenge watch.
Who is Hieronimo in The Spanish Tragedie?
Hieronimo is the knight marshal of Spain, a judge and loyal servant of the king. He is also the father of Horatio and the husband of Isabella. His grief and search for justice drive the play.
Who are the Ghost of Andrea and Revenge?
Andrea is a dead Spanish courtier who loved Bel-imperia and died in the war. Revenge is the spirit who guides him back to watch the play. Together they serve as a Chorus between the acts.
When was The Spanish Tragedie written and is it a true story?
It was written by Thomas Kyd in the late 1580s and is fiction. It uses a Spanish and Portuguese setting, and it is built on wars and royal marriages, but the characters and plot are invented.
Is The Spanish Tragedie worth reading and how did it influence other plays?
It has a fast plot, a ghost, a play within a play, and a father who seems mad. It helped shape revenge tragedy, and many later plays, such as Hamlet, use similar ideas.
Cite this edition
Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish Tragedie. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-spanish-tragedie.
Kyd, T. (2026). The Spanish tragedie. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-spanish-tragedie (Original work published 1592)
Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish Tragedie. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-spanish-tragedie.
@book{kyd2026spanish,
author = {Kyd, Thomas},
title = {The Spanish Tragedie},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-spanish-tragedie},
note = {First published 1592}
}
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Get the full summary of La Tragédie espagnole, free
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