Reference no: EM133287494

Assignment:

In readings Antonio's Revenge you are probably seeing a lot of the same story structures as in other revenge tragedies. The same delay from the revenger (think Hieronimo from The Spanish Tragedy or, if you are familiar with it, Hamlet.) The same vengeance for a slain family member, here, a father. The same "play within a play" (the revenge plotters dress up as masquers--performers of a play). Consider, also, that this play was performed by boys, The Children of Paul'sLinks to an external site., one of the most popular companies of boy actors in England at the time. Even notice the language with which the play begins, "the radish dank of clumsy winter" and so forth, and maintains throughout. Honestly, it's all a bit much.

Is Antonio's Revenge a parody of revenge drama? Are we supposed to be laughing at this? Or, is it self-conscious metatheater, like a Tarantino movie, that is playing with the audience's knowledge of the genre but not really making fun of it? Is this a serious work of metatheater, investigating the nature of life as itself a play (note places where characters refer to their own plotting as a revenge play, or even where Pandulpho says he is "like to some boy, that acts a tragedy")? Or is it something else entirely?

In your response this week, try to puzzle out how and why this play repeats so many revenge tragedy tropes and story beats. As you do, be sure to refer to specific moments in the play, specific plot points or (even better) specific passages to explain your ideas.