A dramatic and violent mood colors the events of The Revenger's Tragedy, which depicts escalating acts of violence and depravity with few if—any moments—of relief. One of the most significant sources of this dark mood in the play is its relentless focus on acts of violence and bloodshed. Characters in the play do not hesitate to resort to murder, treachery, and brutality as they seek revenge or pursue their personal goals. The explicit and, at times, shockingly graphic depiction of these violent acts, particularly the death of the Duke and the bloodbath at the royal banquet, create a sense of intense and unrelenting drama.
This violent mood is further heightened by the play's unsparing treatment of moral decay and corruption. The courtly society depicted in the play is one characterized by irreversible moral degeneration, and the characters' actions reflect a world in which ethical boundaries have long been abandoned. Adultery and incest are common, and rather than defending the honor of their daughters, parents "pander" them to wealthy nobles in exchange for financial privileges. The traditional unit of the family disintegrates in the face of this chaos.
Further, the bloody cycle of revenge central to the play propels its narrative toward ever-increasing numbers of deaths. Vindice, the closest figure to a protagonist in this bleak play, sets into motion a continuous chain of retribution, each act of revenge triggering another. In the end, he too is executed, suggesting that the cycle of violence will continue beyond the events depicted in the play as others seek vengeance for his death.
