1. The Revenge Play Tricia Kerlin Nate Best Jeanette Palmer

2. What is the revenge play? Most revenge tragedies have the some of the same basic elements. A play within a play Mad scenes A vengeful ghost One or gory scenes The biggest one is a central character who has grievance against an intense opponent.

3. Two Most Famous Revenge Tragedies Spanish Tragedy o written by Thomas Kyd. Hamlet o William Shakespeare

4. Origins The revenge plays were very popular in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras Elizabethan era o 1558- 1603 Jacobean era o 1603-1625

5. Seneca the Younger Greatest authors of revenge tragedies. Not one educated Elizabethan who didn't know who he was There was a certain style Seneca used in his plays, such as the five act structure were later used in tragedies. Seneca was the emotional charge in Hamlet. "Hamlet without Seneca is inconceivable"

6. Tradition of tragedies In all tragedies first there is a crime committed and justice cannot be served, so the main character goes through revenge in spite of everything. Period of doubt Others include: o Appearance of ghosts o The revenger has a close relationship with the audience o Crime is always violent, sexual, or both After the revenge is finally decided, the tragic hero delays the actual revenge until the end of the play.

7. Conclusion Hamlet is a great example of a typical revenge tragedy. It follows every convention required to make it a revenge play. Hamlet and The Spanish Tragedy both had a lot of aspects that made them both great revenge plays. Although revenge was thought to be against the church, all Elizabethan people were drawn to the plays.