Thomas Kyd: The Father of English Tragedy

Hareshwar Roy,


Thomas Kyd: The Father of English Tragedy

Thomas Kyd is a pioneering and influential playwright of English literature. It is he who alone reshaped the theatrical landscape of his time. He laid the foundation of the revenge play. He attracted the attention of readers by his tales of murder, madness and vengeance. His masterpiece, The Spanish Tragedy, became a sensation in his time. It appeared as a new standard for dramatic art.

Thomas Kyd was born in London in 1558 and died in 1594 in the age of 36. He was the son of Francis Kyd who was a professional writer. Kyd was likely educated at Merchant Taylors' School in London. At that time that school was a prominent grammar school. He entered the literary scene in the 1580s. Very soon he became part of the vibrant world of Elizabethan theatre. It is said that in 1593 he was arrested on suspicion of libel and atheism. He was tortured a lot. Later he died due to that brutal treatment. His connection to fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe has been a subject of debate among scholars.

Kyd is primarily known for a few key plays that are immensely popular and influential. The Spanish Tragedy (c.1587) is his most famous work. It is a landmark in the history of English drama. It is a sensational revenge tragedy. This play tells the tale of a marshal of Spain named Hieronimo who seeks revenge for the murder of his son, Horatio. Kyd's The Tragedy of Soliman and Perseda (c.1588-1592) is a tragic love story set in the Turkish court. Kyd's Cornelia (1594) is an English adaptation of Robert Garnier's French play Cornélie. It is a notable example of Senecan drama. This play shows Kyd's skill in adapting classical themes. It is one of the few plays of that time that presents the grief and suffering of a female protagonist. Kyd is also credited by many scholars with writing the lost Ur-Hamlet. No doubt, Kyd's writing shows the profound impact on the theatrical landscape.

Kyd had mastery in creating complex and compelling plots. His plots have been woven tightly with a strong emphasis on suspense and intrigue. In The Spanish Tragedy, he has skillfully developed tension through a series of dramatic events. This plot is a masterpiece of dramatic structure. Kyd was the master of art of characterization too. His characters are powerful and memorable. The depiction of the intense emotional states of his characters is praiseworthy. Hieronimo is a fine example. His journey from a law-abiding official to a vengeful, mad figure is a captivating study of grief and despair. Kyd's characters often grapple with moral ambiguity. They appear as trishanku between justice and the overwhelming desire for revenge.

Revenge and justice, appearance vs. reality and madness and chaos are major themes in the plays of Thomas Kyd. Revenge and justice is the central theme of The Spanish Tragedy. Kyd grapples with the question of whether revenge can ever be truly just. He shows how the pursuit of vengeance can corrupt the avenger. It blurs the line between hero and villain. Kyd’s plays often feature characters that hide their true motives behind a mask of deceit. This creates a world where nothing is as it seems. Kyd expertly uses madness as a dramatic device to show the psychological breakdown of his characters. Kyd's writing style is bold and rhetorical, characterized by vivid imagery, powerful soliloquies and heightened language. Some scholars find it overly bombastic. But the reality is that it perfectly suits to the theme and action of his plays. He masterfully uses classical allusions and powerful metaphors to convey the inner turmoil of his characters.

Thomas Kyd's impact on English drama is memorable. He was an innovator of revenge tragedy. It was such a genre that dominated the stage for decades. His influence is evident in the works of his contemporaries and successors. According to several great scholars, Kyd created a form of theater that was both intellectually stimulating and viscerally thrilling. It was he who laid the strong foundation for the golden age of Elizabethan tragedy. Ben Jonson has called him 'famous Kyd' and Francis Meres has written that he was among 'our best for tragedy'.
Location: B-37, City Homes Colony, Jawahar Nagar Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India
Currently Dr. Roy is working as Professor of English at Govt. P.G. College Satna, Madhya Pradesh. He is the author of the following books: (1) Diasporic Articulation in the Novels of M.G. Vassanji (2) A Study of M.G. Vassanji 's Novels (3) Varieties of Indianity in the Works of M.G. Vassanji & Rohinton Mistry (4)Diaspora & Indian Diaspora: A Brief Study (5) Short Notes of English Literature - I (6) Short Notes of English Literature - II (7) हमार पहचान ह भोजपुरी - भोजपुरी कविता संकलन (8) हमरा प्यार हो गइल - भोजपुरी गज़ल संकलन (9) भोजपुरी कविताएँ

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