The Spanish Tragedy

The Spanish Tragedy

by

Thomas Kyd

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Hieronimo Character Analysis

Horatio’s father, Isabella’s husband, and the protagonist of The Spanish Tragedy. Hieronimo is the Knight Marshall of Spain—a sort of official judge—as well as a poet and playwright, who occasionally stages plays to entertain the King of Spain. When Horatio is killed in the garden by Lorenzo and Balthazar, Bel-Imperia yells for Hieronimo, who comes running into the garden in his pajamas to find his son dead and the murderers gone. Hieronimo swears he’ll seek revenge, but Isabella urges him to have patience. Revenge, she says, should be left to God and the law, and should not be taken into the hands of man. Later, Hieronimo finds a letter from Bel-Imperia written in blood, which claims that Horatio was killed by Lorenzo and Balthazar. Hesitant to accuse the prince of Portugal and the nephew of the King of Spain of murder, Hieronimo sets out to prove Lorenzo and Balthazar’s guilt. After Hieronimo sentences Pedringano to hang for the murder of Serberine, the hangman finds a letter to Lorenzo in Pedringano’s pocket that implicates Lorenzo and Balthazar in Horatio’s murder. Hieronimo tries to go to the king, but Lorenzo blocks him at every pass, and Hieronimo cannot get justice for Horatio. Still, Hieronimo is expected sit as a judge and dispense justice to others, which adds to his mounting insanity and desire for revenge. After Isabelle commits suicide in her immense grief, Hieronimo finally decides to seek his revenge, which he does in the play-within-a-play that he stages near the end of the final act. After the king asks Hieronimo to entertain them with a play, Hieronimo enlists the help of Bel-Imperia, and they convince Lorenzo and Balthazar to participate as well. During the play, after Bel-Imperia kills Balthazar and herself, Hieronimo kills Lorenzo and commits suicide after killing the Duke of Castile. The character of Hieronimo reflects the dangers of seeking revenge, which Kyd argues is best left to God and the law. Even though the law fails to get justice for Horatio, Hieronimo’s disastrous end suggests revenge simply isn’t worth it.

Hieronimo Quotes in The Spanish Tragedy

The The Spanish Tragedy quotes below are all either spoken by Hieronimo or refer to Hieronimo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Revenge and Justice  Theme Icon
).
Act 1, Scene 4 Quotes

Now, lordings, fall to; Spain is Portugal,
And Portugal is Spain, we both are friends,
Tribute is paid, and we enjoy our right,
But where is old Hieronimo, our marshal?
He promised us, in honour of our guest.
To grace our banquet with some pompous jest.

Related Characters: King of Spain (speaker), Hieronimo, Portuguese Ambassador
Page Number: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 5 Quotes

See’st thou this handkercher besmeared with blood?
It shall not from me till I take revenge.
See’st thou those wounds that yet are bleeding fresh?
I’ll not entomb them till I have revenged.
Then will I joy amidst my discontent,
Till then my sorrow never shall be spent.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio, Isabella
Related Symbols: Bel-Imperia’s Scarf
Page Number: 44-5
Explanation and Analysis:

The heavens are just, murder cannot be hid:
Time is the author both of truth and right,
And time will bring this treachery to light.

Related Characters: Isabella (speaker), Hieronimo, Horatio
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 45
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

This sly enquiry of Hieronimo
For Bel-lmperia breeds suspicion,
And this suspicion bodes a further ill,
As for myself, I know my secret fault;
And so do they, but I have dealt for them.
They that for coin their souls endangered,
To save my life, for coin shall venture theirs:
And better it’s that base companions die,
Than by their life to hazard our good haps.
Nor shall they live, for me to fear their faith:
I’ll trust myself, myself shall be my friend,
For die they shall, slaves are ordained to no other end.

Related Characters: Lorenzo (speaker), Hieronimo, Bel-Imperia, Horatio, Pedringano, Serberine
Page Number: 57
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 6 Quotes

Thus must we toil in other men’s extremes,
That know not how to remedy our own;
And do them justice, when unjustly we, |
For all our wrongs, can compass no redress.
But shall I never live to see the day
That I may come, by justice of the heavens,
To know the cause that may my cares allay?
This toils my body, this consumeth age,
That only I to all men just must be,
And neither gods nor men be just to me.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio
Page Number: 66
Explanation and Analysis:

Peace, impudent, for thou shalt find it so:
For blood with blood shall, while I sit as judge,
Be satisfied, and the law discharged.
And though myself cannot receive the like,
Yet will I see that others have their right.
Despatch, the fault’s approved and confessed,
And by our law he is condemned to die.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio, Pedringano, Serberine, Lorenzo’s Page
Related Symbols: The Box 
Page Number: 67
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 13 Quotes

And art thou come, Horatio, from the depth,
To ask for justice in this upper earth?
To tell thy father thou art unrevenged,
To wring more tears from Isabella’s eyes,
Whose lights are dimmed with over-long laments?
Go back my son, complain to Aeacus,
For here’s no justice; gentle boy be gone,
For justice is exiled from the earth;
Hieronimo will bear thee company.
Thy mother cries on righteous Rhadamanth
For just revenge against the murderers.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio, The Ghost of Andrea, Isabella, Bazulto
Page Number: 93
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 14 Quotes

Welcome, Balthazar,
Welcome brave prince, the pledge of Castile’s peace;
And welcome Bel-lmperia. How now, girl?
Why com’st thou sadly to salute us thus?
Content thyself, for I am satisfied;
It is not now as when Andrea lived.
We have forgotten and forgiven that,
And thou art graced with a happier love.

Related Characters: Cyprian, Duke of Castile (speaker), Hieronimo, Bel-Imperia, Horatio, The Ghost of Andrea, Balthazar
Page Number: 99
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 4, Scene 4 Quotes

And you, my lord, whose reconciled son
Marched in a net, and thought himself unseen
And rated me for brainsick lunacy.
With “God amend that mad Hieronimo!”—
How can you brook our play’s catastrophe?
And here behold this bloody handkercher,
Which at Horatio’s death I weeping dipped
Within the river of his bleeding wounds:
It as propitious, see I have reserved,
And never hath it left my bloody heart,
Soliciting remembrance of my vow
With these, O these accursed murderers:
Which now performed, my heart is satisfied.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Lorenzo, Bel-Imperia, Horatio, Balthazar, King of Spain
Related Symbols: Bel-Imperia’s Scarf
Page Number: 120
Explanation and Analysis:
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Hieronimo Quotes in The Spanish Tragedy

The The Spanish Tragedy quotes below are all either spoken by Hieronimo or refer to Hieronimo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Revenge and Justice  Theme Icon
).
Act 1, Scene 4 Quotes

Now, lordings, fall to; Spain is Portugal,
And Portugal is Spain, we both are friends,
Tribute is paid, and we enjoy our right,
But where is old Hieronimo, our marshal?
He promised us, in honour of our guest.
To grace our banquet with some pompous jest.

Related Characters: King of Spain (speaker), Hieronimo, Portuguese Ambassador
Page Number: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 5 Quotes

See’st thou this handkercher besmeared with blood?
It shall not from me till I take revenge.
See’st thou those wounds that yet are bleeding fresh?
I’ll not entomb them till I have revenged.
Then will I joy amidst my discontent,
Till then my sorrow never shall be spent.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio, Isabella
Related Symbols: Bel-Imperia’s Scarf
Page Number: 44-5
Explanation and Analysis:

The heavens are just, murder cannot be hid:
Time is the author both of truth and right,
And time will bring this treachery to light.

Related Characters: Isabella (speaker), Hieronimo, Horatio
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 45
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

This sly enquiry of Hieronimo
For Bel-lmperia breeds suspicion,
And this suspicion bodes a further ill,
As for myself, I know my secret fault;
And so do they, but I have dealt for them.
They that for coin their souls endangered,
To save my life, for coin shall venture theirs:
And better it’s that base companions die,
Than by their life to hazard our good haps.
Nor shall they live, for me to fear their faith:
I’ll trust myself, myself shall be my friend,
For die they shall, slaves are ordained to no other end.

Related Characters: Lorenzo (speaker), Hieronimo, Bel-Imperia, Horatio, Pedringano, Serberine
Page Number: 57
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 6 Quotes

Thus must we toil in other men’s extremes,
That know not how to remedy our own;
And do them justice, when unjustly we, |
For all our wrongs, can compass no redress.
But shall I never live to see the day
That I may come, by justice of the heavens,
To know the cause that may my cares allay?
This toils my body, this consumeth age,
That only I to all men just must be,
And neither gods nor men be just to me.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio
Page Number: 66
Explanation and Analysis:

Peace, impudent, for thou shalt find it so:
For blood with blood shall, while I sit as judge,
Be satisfied, and the law discharged.
And though myself cannot receive the like,
Yet will I see that others have their right.
Despatch, the fault’s approved and confessed,
And by our law he is condemned to die.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio, Pedringano, Serberine, Lorenzo’s Page
Related Symbols: The Box 
Page Number: 67
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 13 Quotes

And art thou come, Horatio, from the depth,
To ask for justice in this upper earth?
To tell thy father thou art unrevenged,
To wring more tears from Isabella’s eyes,
Whose lights are dimmed with over-long laments?
Go back my son, complain to Aeacus,
For here’s no justice; gentle boy be gone,
For justice is exiled from the earth;
Hieronimo will bear thee company.
Thy mother cries on righteous Rhadamanth
For just revenge against the murderers.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio, The Ghost of Andrea, Isabella, Bazulto
Page Number: 93
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 14 Quotes

Welcome, Balthazar,
Welcome brave prince, the pledge of Castile’s peace;
And welcome Bel-lmperia. How now, girl?
Why com’st thou sadly to salute us thus?
Content thyself, for I am satisfied;
It is not now as when Andrea lived.
We have forgotten and forgiven that,
And thou art graced with a happier love.

Related Characters: Cyprian, Duke of Castile (speaker), Hieronimo, Bel-Imperia, Horatio, The Ghost of Andrea, Balthazar
Page Number: 99
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 4, Scene 4 Quotes

And you, my lord, whose reconciled son
Marched in a net, and thought himself unseen
And rated me for brainsick lunacy.
With “God amend that mad Hieronimo!”—
How can you brook our play’s catastrophe?
And here behold this bloody handkercher,
Which at Horatio’s death I weeping dipped
Within the river of his bleeding wounds:
It as propitious, see I have reserved,
And never hath it left my bloody heart,
Soliciting remembrance of my vow
With these, O these accursed murderers:
Which now performed, my heart is satisfied.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Lorenzo, Bel-Imperia, Horatio, Balthazar, King of Spain
Related Symbols: Bel-Imperia’s Scarf
Page Number: 120
Explanation and Analysis: