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Soliloquy
Key Examples in The Revenger’s Tragedy
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
Befitting its harsh critique of the moral and political climate of the Jacobean era, The Revenger's Tragedy is notable for its scathing satirical style. Perhaps the most notable target of this satirical style is the morally permissive culture often associated in works of the time with the royal courts of Europe. The Italian court depicted in the play is portrayed as morally decadent, sexually licentious, and politically corrupt. Those characters who live and work in this court, who might be held to higher moral standards due to their power and influence, engage in shockingly immoral behavior. This conduct generally goes unpunished, as the lecherous Duke himself is one of the play’s worst offenders. Though The Revenger’s Tragedy is set in a highly fictionalized Italian setting, its satirical portrayal takes aim at the real-life courts of the Jacobean era, highlighting the hypocrisy and moral decay within the aristocracy.
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