Lust Theme in The Revenger’s Tragedy

There’s hardly a moment that goes by in The Revenger’s Tragedy that doesn’t involve lust. Middleton shows lust to be a strong force, and to be especially volatile when mixed with power. In fact, lust is so powerful in this play that, for characters like Lussurioso and the Duke, sexual desire governs almost everything they do. Acting on lust becomes a kind of expression of power itself; sex is used both for gratification and as a weapon to exert dominance. Excessive lust can also become a weakness, however, which Vindice exploits in his quest for revenge. Middleton ultimately associates lust with depravity, positioning it as a consuming, blinding force that displaces morality.

The Duke presides over an empire of lust, with himself the all-powerful tyrant at its center. He poisoned Vindice’s fiancée Gloriana, for instance, for not sleeping with him. His “bastard” son, Spurio, is further evidence of the Duke’s lustiness: he was conceived out of wedlock and must live a life in which he is excluded from the advantages of being the ruler’s son. Junior Brother, the Duchess’s youngest son, is imprisoned for the rape of the wife of court nobleman Antonio—further underscoring that lust is everywhere in this world. Lust also begets lust: Spurio and the Duchess indulge in an illicit (arguably incestuous, given that she is his stepmother) relationship both as an attack on the Duke and as an expression of uncontrollable desire.

Lussurioso in particular takes after his father. At one point he says, “I am past my depth in lust, and I must swim or drown.” Here, he explicitly states the way in which lust has consumed him—and his words could easily apply to the other characters too. Lust, then, is set up from the beginning as a potent force throughout the Duke’s kingdom, arguably both causing and filling the moral vacuum left by the conspicuous lack of religious devotion.

The Duke and Lussurioso both abuse their positions to satisfy their lust and also use sex as a way of demonstrating and, ultimately, enjoying their authority. They behave with a perverse sense of entitlement, showing the way in which lust and power make a potentially dangerous combination. It never crosses the Duke’s or Lussurioso’s minds whether the women whom they lust after want to have sex with them or not—or if it does, they don’t care either way. To these two characters, women are mere objects of desire, sexual conquests to be won by force if necessary. That’s why rape and sexual coercion are a constant presence throughout the play.

Lussurioso, for example, orders Vindice (in disguise as a pimp) to make Castiza, Vindice’s sister, sexually available to him. Though this luckily plays into Vindice’s revenge plans anyway, Vindice is obligated to assist regardless because of Lussurioso’s powerful position. When Gratiana, Castiza’s mother, temporarily consents to effectively prostituting her daughter, it’s because she is attracted by the power that might come with a closer association to the Duke’s family. She is willing to exchange Castiza for a taste of power—in the process, only serving to confirm the original power embodied by the Duke and his son. Lust and power are thus twinned together. The play shows that one influences the other, potentially leading to an extreme breakdown of morality.

But just as lust—and acting on it—can be an expression of power, it can also become a point of weakness. Vindice is fully aware how much lust controls the actions of the Duke and Lussurioso and decides to use that to his advantage. In fact, rather than merely killing these men, Vindice wants to kill them in a way that makes them see both that he is the avenger and, crucially, the way in which he has exploited their own lust to bring about their deaths.

That Vindice sees lust as an exploitable flaw is clear in his disguise as a pimp, which he uses to get closer to Lussurioso and to manipulate events to bring about Lussurioso’s death.

The danger of succumbing to lust, however, finds its ultimate—and grotesque—expression in the Duke’s death. Vindice, now also acting as the Duke’s pimp, orchestrates a scenario in which the Duke kisses the skull of Gloriana, thinking it’s a living a woman. Vindice has planted poison on the skull’s mouth, meaning the Duke is literally killed because of his own lust-inspired actions. This represents the ultimate revenge, weaponizing not just the Duke’s present lust but also the object of his original lust, Gloriana. Vindice posthumously empowers Gloriana by letting her provide the kiss of death. Lust, then, is linked to weakness as well as power. Vindice’s skill and success as the avenger depend upon his recognition that his enemies will follow their desires at any cost—even if that means endangering themselves and setting up the opportunity for Vindice’s revenge to come to fruition.

Lust ThemeTracker

The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Lust appears in each scene of The Revenger’s Tragedy. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.

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Lust Quotes in The Revenger’s Tragedy

Below you will find the important quotes in The Revenger’s Tragedy related to the theme of Lust.

Duke—royal lecher! Go, grey-haired adultery;
And thou his son, as impious steeped as he;
And thou his bastard true-begot in evil;
And thou his duchess that will do with devil;
Four ex’lent characters.

Related Characters: Vindice (speaker), The Duke, Lussurioso, Spurio , The Duchess

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 1-5

Explanation and Analysis:

These are the opening lines of the play, spoken by Vindice as he watches the Duke go by with his entourage. This moment immediately sets up how distant Vindice feels from the Duke’s court, expressing his hatred for four key characters and giving an indication of why he hates them. The Duke is a “lecher,” a man given to excessive sexual indulgence. His son, Lussurioso, is accused by Vindice of being just as bad. The audience then learns that Spurio was conceived out of wedlock, “true-begot in evil”—further evidence of the Duke’s lifetime of lustiness. Vindice’s accusation that the Duchess Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum

[To the skull] Thou sallow picture of my poisoned love,
My study’s ornament, thou shell of death,
Once the bright face my betrothed lady,
When life and beauty naturally filled out these
These ragged imperfections,
When two heaven-pointed diamonds were set
In those unsightly rings […]
Thee when thou wert appareled in thy flesh
The old duke poisoned,
Because thy purer part would not consent
Unto his palsy-lust

Related Characters: Vindice (speaker), The Duke

Related Symbols: Gloriana’s Skull

Page Number and Citation: 14-34

Explanation and Analysis:

Still in the opening scene of the play, here Vindice addresses the skull of his deceased beloved, Gloriana. The early appearance of the skull suggests the strong presence of death throughout the play; it also gives the audience a sense of Vindice’s obsession with revenge, given that they later learn he’s held on to the skull for the better part of a decade. This quote establishes Vindice’s love for Gloriana and his grief at her death. To him, she has been reduced to an object—an “ornament” and a “shell”—which might explain the curious way he uses the skull later in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Mo

Duchess, it is your youngest son, we’re sorry,
His violent act has e'en drawn blood of honour
And stained our honours,
Thrown ink upon the forehead of our state
Which envious spirits will dip their pens into
After our death, and blot us in our tombs."

Related Characters: The Duke (speaker), The Duchess, Antonio, Junior Brother, Spurio

Page Number and Citation: 1-6

Explanation and Analysis:

Junior Brother, the Duchess’ son from a relationship prior to the Duke, stands trial for raping the wife of Lord Antonio. This quote illustrates the Duke’s attitude toward justice: it isn’t a universal standard that humanity needs to uphold, but rather the mere expression of what’s good for the court—or, more accurately, what’s good for the Duke himself. He isn’t concerned with the horror of Junior Brother’s deed, but for how it will look to the public. In fact, it’s more his posthumous reputation that he’s worried about. It also shows the audience that it is the Duke who decides Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inven

SECOND JUDGE: Confess, my lord,
What moved you to’t?

JUNIOR BROTHER: Why, flesh and blood, my lord.
What should move men unto a woman else?

LUSSURIOSO: O do not jest thy doom; trust not an axe
Or sword too far. The law is a wise serpent
And quickly can beguile thee of thy life.

Related Characters: Lussurioso (speaker), Junior Brother (speaker), Antonio

Page Number and Citation: 46-50

Explanation and Analysis:

The judges ask Junior Brother why he decided to rape Lord Antonio’s wife, and his answer reveals a lot about the immorality rife in the Duke’s court. Essentially, Junior Brother’s reply portrays the view that rape is a natural action—it isn’t “wrong” or “evil” because it is simply the expression of the laws of nature. Not only is lust considered justification for rape, then, but it is also suggested that lust is the only force behind a man’s attraction to a woman. Women are mere sites for the satisfaction of men’s lust. Junior Brother’s devaluation of “flesh and blood” mirrors Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint

DUCHESS: Who would not be revenged of such a father,
E'en in the worst way? I would thank that sin
That could most injury him, and be in league with it.
Oh what a grief 'tis that a man should live
But once i'th’ world, and then to live a bastard,
The curse o' the womb, the thief of Nature,
Begot against the seventh commandment
Half damned in the conception by the justice
Of that unbribed everlasting law.

SPURIO: O, I’d a hot-backed devil to my father.

Related Characters: Spurio (speaker), The Duchess (speaker), Junior Brother, The Duke

Page Number and Citation: 154-163

Explanation and Analysis:

The Duchess, angry with the Duke for not showing leniency to Junior Brother, decides to get her revenge by having an illicit affair with Spurio, the Duke’s bastard son. Spurio is initially hesitant, thinking that any proposed affair would be immoral and incestuous. He doesn’t take much persuasion, however, and the above quote illustrates the Duchess’s reasoning, which quickly brings Spurio around. Spurio harbors resentment for his father because of his own status as a bastard. His father conceived him in adulterous fit of passion, and thereby denied Spurio the rights he would have enjoyed as a legitimate son of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam off

LUSSURIOSO: Attend me, I am past my depth in lust,
And I must swim or drown. All my desires
Are levelled at a virgin not far from Court,
To whom I have conveyed by messenger
Many waxed lines, full of my neatest spirit,
And jewels that were able to ravish her
Without the help of man: all which and more
She, foolish-chaste, sent back, the messengers
Receiving frowns for answers.

VINDICE: Possible?
'Tis a rare phoenix whoe'er she be.
If your desires be such, she so repugnant.

Related Characters: Vindice (speaker), Lussurioso (speaker), Castiza

Page Number and Citation: 88-99

Explanation and Analysis:

In this scene, Vindice is disguised as Piato the “pander”—an old word for pimp. Lussurioso has requested his services in procuring a virgin who is particularly reluctant to acquiesce to his advances; Vindice has agreed because it potentially aids his overall revenge project, getting him closer to the top of the court hierarchy. Lussurioso lives up to his name, which roughly translates as “lewd” and “lust.” He shows the extent to which lust has come to dominate his very being, and also outlines the dynamic between that lust and women’s purity. That is, the more chaste a virgin the more Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea s

How hardly shall that maiden be beset
Whose only fortunes are her constant thoughts,
That has no other child's-part but her honour
That keeps her low and empty in estate.
Maids and their honours are like poor beginners:
Were not sin rich there would be fewer sinners:
Why had not virtue a revenue? Well,
I know the cause: 'twould have impoverished hell.

Related Characters: Castiza (speaker), Lussurioso, Vindice

Page Number and Citation: 1-8

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote comes just before Piato (Vindice in disguise) arrives to try and persuade Castiza to give in to Lussurioso’s advances. It neatly sets out her social position, which is demoted because her father is no longer alive. This makes her ineligible for marriage, meaning that the one true power that she holds is over her virginity and honor. She takes a principled stand in defending her position and is determined not to give herself away cheaply. Her words also further illustrate the moral corruption of the world she finds herself in. She expresses frustration that sin seems to be Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nes

VINDICE: What think you now lady? Speak, are you wiser?
What said advancement to you? Thus it said:
The daughter's fall lifts up the mother's head.
Did it not madam? But I'll swear it does
In many places; tut, this age fears no man.
‘‘Tis no shame to be bad, because 'tis common.’

GRATIANA: Aye, that's the comfort on't.

VINDICE: The comfort on't!
I keep the best for last; can these persuade you
To forget heaven—
[Gives her money]

GRATIANA: Ay, these are they—

VINDICE [aside]: O!

GRATIANA: —that enchant our sex; these are the means
That govern our affections. That woman
Will not be troubled with the mother long,
That sees the comfortable shine of you;
I blush to think what for your sakes I'll do.

VINDICE [aside]: Oh suffering heaven with thy invisible finger
E'en at this instant turn the precious side
Of both mine eyeballs inward, not to see myself.

Related Characters: Gratiana (speaker), Vindice (speaker), Castiza, Lussurioso

Page Number and Citation: 111-127

Explanation and Analysis:

Having had his proposal roundly rejected by Castiza, Vindice—disguised as Piato the pander—tries to persuade his own mother to pressure Castiza into giving up her virginity for Lussurioso. Vindice’s true identity is firmly lost at this point, as he slips deeper into the role of Piato, testing the faith of his mother. He pressures her, suggesting that her complicity in changing Castiza’s mind will ultimately bring about rewards for her too. His argument is that, in a world already morally corrupted, what harm does a little more corruption do? Between his silver tongue and the bribe, Gratiana is convinced by Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore

GRATIANA: O, if thou knew'st
What 'twere to lose it, thou would never keep it.
But there's a cold curse laid upon all maids,
Whilst others clip the sun they clasp the shades!
Virginity is paradise, locked up.
You cannot come by yourselves without fee,
And 'twas decreed that man should keep the key:
Deny advancement, treasure, the duke's son!

CASTIZA: I cry you mercy; lady I mistook you,
Pray did you see my mother? Which way went you?
Pray God I have not lost her.

Related Characters: Gratiana (speaker), Castiza (speaker), Lussurioso, Vindice

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 148-158

Explanation and Analysis:

Under the spell of Piato’s persuasion, Gratiana tries to convince Castiza to give up her chastity for Lussurioso. Castiza clearly does not recognize this attitude in her mother, accusing her of having “gone missing”—that is, no longer being herself. This is a line of accusation that Vindice and Hippolito carry on in a later scene—that Gratiana has lost her sense of self. Gratiana’s attempt to persuade Castiza should not be taken at face value; her words are primarily motivated by the chance of personal gain, not her genuine feelings. Gratiana seems to imply that Castiza doesn’t realize the gratification that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. D

LUSSURIOSO: Well this night I'll visit her, and 'tis till then
A year in my desires. Farewell, attend,
Trust me with thy preferment.
[Exit Lussurioso. Vindice puts his hand to his sword]

VINDICE: My loved lord.—
Oh shall I kill him o'the wrong-side now? No,
Sword thou wast never a back-biter yet.
I'll pierce him to his face, he shall die looking upon me;
Thy veins are swelled with lust, this shall unfill 'em.

Related Characters: Lussurioso (speaker), Vindice (speaker), Gratiana, Castiza

Page Number and Citation: 85-91

Explanation and Analysis:

This moment represents a heightening of the dramatic tension in the play. Vindice, disguised as Piato, has just informed Lussurioso that Gratiana, Castiza’s mother, is happy to receive him at the house and facilitate the satisfaction of his sexual desires with her daughter. Vindice could kill Lussurioso at this instant, but, as with other points in the play, defers his actions. Because he wants a particular type of revenge, in which he gets to make clear his true identity, he decides to put it off until later. Contrast this with, say, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who delays vengeance because of its confusing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantiu

O, take me not in sleep; I have great sins.
I must have days—
Nay, months, dear son, with penitential heaves,
To lift 'em out and not to die unclear;
O, thou wilt kill me both in heaven and here.

Related Characters: The Duke (speaker), The Duchess, Lussurioso, Spurio

Page Number and Citation: 8-13

Explanation and Analysis:

Lussurioso bursts in on the Duke and the Duchess, thinking he will catch the latter engaging in incestuous behavior with Spurio. The Duke’s reaction is telling of his attitude toward religion and the generally corrupted quality of religion throughout the play. He sees his relationship to “heaven” as essentially transactional—in order to secure his place in the preferred afterlife he needs to pay his moral debt with prayer. That is, all he needs to do in order to make up for his moral crimes is to make a superficial, vacuous tribute to his God. This emphasizes the extent of his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptate

It well becomes that judge to nod at crimes
That does commit greater himself, and lives.
I may forgive a disobedient error
That expect pardon for adultery,
And in my old days am a youth in lust.
Many a beauty have I turned to poison
In the denial, covetous of all.
Age hot, is like a monster to be seen:
My hairs are white, and yet my sins are green.

Related Characters: The Duke (speaker), Lussurioso

Page Number and Citation: 124-133

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote is spoken by the Duke, with nobody else on stage. It is, then, a glimpse into his innermost thoughts, which portrays his rather skewed reasoning of morality and justice. Having just confronted his potential death at the hands of Lussurioso (accidentally, of course), his thoughts take on a philosophical bent. Firstly, he thinks it is morally virtuous of him to forgive his son because Lussurioso’s sin is less grave than the sins the Duke has committed in his life. Secondly, it shows his attitude towards his age and his lust: he believes that, in his relentless sexual obsession, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore

VINDICE: Look you brother,
I have not fashioned this only for show
And useless property, no — it shall bear a part
E'en in it own revenge. This very skull,
Whose mistress the duke poisoned with this drug,
The mortal curse of the earth, shall be revenged
In the like strain and kiss his lips to death.

Related Characters: Vindice (speaker), The Duke, Hippolito

Related Symbols: Gloriana’s Skull

Page Number and Citation: 98-104

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote comes as Vindice describes to Hippolito his plan for killing the Duke. Acting as Piato the pimp, he has lured the Duke away from the court (and thereby away from his usual protection) with the promise of a young woman for the Duke to have his way with. The woman, though, is the skull of Gloriana, dressed up and disguised, with poison planted on the mouth. The audience, here, has to ask whether Vindice’s plans for revenge have become morally entangled with a certain kind of enjoyment he derives from being particularly ingenious in his methods. On the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque om

GRATIANA: Are you so barbarous, to set iron nipples
Upon the breast that gave you suck?

VINDICE: That breast
Is turned to quarled poison.

GRATIANA: Cut not your days for't: am not I your mother?

VINDICE: Thou dost usurp that title now by fraud,
For in that shell of mother breeds a bawd.

GRATIANA: A bawd! Oh name far loathsomer than hell!

HIPPOLITO: It should be so, knew'st thou thy office well.

Related Characters: Gratiana (speaker), Vindice (speaker), Hippolito (speaker), Castiza, Lussurioso

Page Number and Citation: 5-12

Explanation and Analysis:

In this scene, Vindice and Hippolito confront their mother, Gratiana, for her corruptibility. Earlier in the play, Gratiana agreed with Piato the pander—actually Vindice in disguise—that she would prostitute their sister, Castiza, to Lussurioso. At this point she doesn’t know the true identity of Piato and accordingly is confused why her sons are behaving so aggressively towards her. The grotesque imagery of “iron nipples” contributes to the overall sense of sexual depravity in the play. More generally, the trope of children killing one of their parents—in this case avoided—harks back to earlier Greek tragedies (e.g. the story of Oedipus). Vindice Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident

GRATIANA: Bethink again, thou know'st not what thou say'st.

CASTIZA: No—deny advancement, treasure, the duke's son?

GRATIANA: O see, I spoke those words, and now they poison me.
What will the deed do then?
Advancement? True, as high as shame can pitch.
For treasure? Who e'er knew a harlot rich
Or could build by the purchase of her sin
An hospital to keep their bastards in?
The duke's son! Oh when women are young courtiers,
They are sure to be old beggars;
To know the miseries most harlots taste
Thou'd'st wish thyself unborn, when thou’rt unchaste.

CASTIZA: Oh mother let me twine about your neck
And kiss you till my soul melt on your lips:
I did but this to try you.

GRATIANA: Oh speak truth!

CASTIZA: Indeed I did not;
For no tongue has force to alter me from honest.
If maidens would, men's words could have no power;
A virgin honour is a crystal tower,
Which, being weak, is guarded with good spirits:
Until she basely yields, no ill inherits.

Related Characters: Hippolito (speaker), Castiza (speaker), Gratiana (speaker), Lussurioso

Page Number and Citation: 134-154

Explanation and Analysis:

By this point, Gratiana has realized the error of her ways. Her repentant tears have earned her the forgiveness of Hippolito and Vindice, and this exchange represents the final stage of her salvation. Castiza has just entered, stating that she wishes now to go back on her initial reluctance and give into Lussurioso’s advances. She quotes the same potential advantages to such a decision as Gratiana had earlier described: advancement (as in a better a social position) and monetary reward. Yet Gratiana, fully restored to her sense of mother’s morality, now argues against her previous words. Gratiana says that the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam offi

My lords, be all of music;
Strike old griefs into other countries
That flow in too much milk and have faint livers,
Not daring to stab home their discontents.
Let our hid flames break out, as fire, as lightning
To blast this villainous dukedom vexed with sin:
Wind up your souls to their full height again […]
And when they think their pleasures sweet and good,
In midst of all their joys, they shall sigh blood.

Related Characters: Vindice (speaker), The Duke, Lussurioso

Related Symbols: Natural Phenomena

Page Number and Citation: 1-22

Explanation and Analysis:

Near the end of the play, the audience senses the imminent bloodbath. In this quote, Vindice convinces some of the other noblemen to join him in his vengeful actions and kill Lussurioso (who has just been crowned Duke after his father’s death). It’s worth noting how Vindice’s revenge project has extended from being centered on the Duke, to then incorporating Lussurioso, and now taking in the entire “villainous dukedom.” In his words, this widening out of his revenge is justified because the court is “vexed with sin,” but the audience might wonder if a small part of Vindice’s psyche has Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. El

Lust Theme Analysis

Lust ThemeTracker

Lust Quotes in The Revenger’s Tragedy

Act 1, Scene 1 Quotes

Act 1, Scene 2 Quotes

Act 1, Scene 3 Quotes

Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

Act 2, Scene 2 Quotes

Act 2, Scene 3 Quotes

Act 3, Scene 5 Quotes

Act 4, Scene 4 Quotes

Act 5, Scene 2 Quotes