Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Spanish Tragedy, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Revenge and Justice
Class, Gender, and Society
Love and Madness
Betrayal
Summary
Analysis
Hieronimo enters with a dagger and a rope. He has come to see the King of Spain and plead his case to get justice for Horatio’s murder. Hieronimo throws down the dagger and rope. If he stabs or hangs himself, there will be no one to avenge Horatio’s death. He hears the arrival of the king and picks the dagger and rope up again. The king enters with the Portuguese Ambassador, the Duke of Castile, and Lorenzo.
This is the second time Hieronimo contemplates suicide, which reflects his pain and despair over losing his beloved son and suggests that he really is mentally unraveling despite his implication that he is of sound mind. Hieronimo first tries to seek justice for his son through legal channels, which suggests that Hieronimo knows it is not his responsibility to seek revenge.
Themes
The King of Spain asks the Portuguese Ambassador if the Viceroy of Portugal has received the king’s recent letters. “Justice, O, justice to Hieronimo,” Hieronimo interrupts. Lorenzo holds Hieronimo back, telling him the king is busy. The king asks who has interrupted, but Hieronimo tells him to carry on. The ambassador says that the viceroy was very happy to learn that Balthazar is alive and being treated so well in the Spanish court, and he happily agrees to the marriage between his son and Bel-Imperia. The viceroy will come to Spain himself for the marriage, which he hopes will forge a lasting connection between Spain and Portugal. At the wedding, the viceroy will give his crown to Balthazar and make Bel-Imperia a queen.
Again, Hieronimo tries to seek justice for Horatio’s murder through the proper channels, but Lorenzo blocks him, which again reflects the power of the upper class to withhold justice to those of the lower class. There is little Hieronimo can do to overcome Lorenzo, so he doesn’t even try. If Hieronimo is to accuse Lorenzo, there is little evidence to suggest that he would be taken seriously or even believed. Likely, Lorenzo would talk his way out of it, and Hieronimo would be out of luck—and likely Lorenzo’s next target for murder.
Themes
The Portuguese Ambassador tells the King of Spain that he has the ransom money due Horatio, and Hieronimo immediately speaks up at the mention of his son’s name. “Justice, O justice, justice, gentle king!” Hieronimo cries. Lorenzo again blocks Hieronimo and tells him to stop, but Hieronimo will not be silenced. “Give me my son, you shall not ransom him!” Hieronimo yells. He threatens to rip up the earth and begins to tear and dig at the ground with his dagger. The king asks Hieronimo what he means by such an outburst, and Lorenzo says it is just Hieronimo’s pride. Hieronimo wants Horatio’s ransom money for himself, Lorenzo tells the king.
Hieronimo appears quite insane here, which again points to worsening madness. Hieronimo demands that Lorenzo give him back his son, which suggests that Horatio is still alive. Likely, Hieronimo means that Horatio’s justice shall not be ransomed, but his words are nevertheless frantic and confused. Lorenzo’s claim that Hieronimo only wants Horatio’s ransom money also implies that Horatio is still alive, which helps Lorenzo’s plan—if no one knows Horatio is dead, no one will know Lorenzo killed him.
Themes
Lorenzo tells the King of Spain that Hieronimo is “in a manner lunatic,” and the king is sorry to hear it. The king tells Lorenzo to give Hieronimo the gold. As Horatio’s father, it is surely his due, the king says. Lorenzo says that they should see about replacing Hieronimo as marshal and claims the post should be given to someone with “more discretion.” The king worries that relieving Hieronimo of his post would be too painful for him, and he tells Lorenzo that they will instead wait and see. They all exit to go tell Balthazar and Bel-Imperia of their impending marriage.
Pretending Hieronimo is insane is the perfect cover for Lorenzo’s murder of Horatio. No matter what Hieronimo says, Lorenzo can just claim Hieronimo is insane. Lorenzo wants to give Hieronimo’s job to someone with “more discretion,” which is to say he wants to give it to someone who isn’t insane, but the king disagrees. The king has no reason to suspect that Horatio is dead, yet he still says to give Hieronimo his gold and won’t let Lorenzo replace Hieronimo at this job. This behavior suggests that the king isn’t an entirely bad person, and he clearly cares about Hieronimo.
Themes
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