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Horatio
A Spanish courtier and Bel-Imperia’s lover. Don Andrea is killed by Balthazar during a battle with Portugal before the play begins, and while it is not explicitly stated, it is implied that Balthazar’s actions in killing Andrea were dishonorable. It is three days before Andrea’s dear friend, Horatio, is able to administer Andrea’s funeral rites. As Horatio mourns his friend, he removes Andrea’s scarf—which was given to Andrea by Bel-Imperia before the war—and vows to wear it in Andrea’s honor. After his funeral, Andrea is finally allowed to pass the river Acheron into the afterlife. He swears revenge against Balthazar, and Proserpine, the queen of the underworld, orders Revenge to take Andrea back to earth to witness Bel-Imperia kill Balthazar to avenge Andrea’s death. As Revenge and Andrea’s ghost stand over the play, watching and waiting for Balthazar’s death, Andrea grows impatient. Instead of Balthazar’s death, Andrea is forced to watch Balthazar—who is supposed to be a prisoner—live in the lap of luxury at the Duke of Castile’s estate, and Andrea must also sit by as Balthazar and Lorenzo kill Horatio and abuse Bel-Imperia. Revenge, however, tells Andrea to be patient. Finally, Andrea and Revenge watch as Horatio’s father, Hieronimo, and Bel-Imperia exact their revenge during the play-within-a-play in the final act. Bel-Imperia kills Balthazar and then herself, and Hieronimo kills Lorenzo and the Duke of Castile before stabbing himself. Andrea looks forward to seeing both Bel-Imperia and Horatio in the afterlife, but he requests that Revenge send Balthazar, Lorenzo, and everyone else involved in Horatio’s murder to the “deepest hell” where they will suffer for eternity. Like Bel-Imperia and Hieronimo, the character of Andrea underscores the dangers of revenge. Andrea seeks revenge at any cost, and in this case, the cost is Bel-Imperia’s life. Both Bel-Imperia and Hieronimo commit suicide after finally getting revenge, which suggests that revenge just isn’t worth it and should be left to God and the law.
The Ghost of Andrea Quotes in The Spanish Tragedy
The The Spanish Tragedy quotes below are all either spoken by The Ghost of Andrea or refer to The Ghost of Andrea. 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:
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Act 1, Scene 1 Quotes
Not far from hence, amidst ten thousand souls,
Sat Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanth,
To whom no sooner ’gan I make approach,
To crave a passport for my wandering ghost,
But Minos, in graven leaves of lottery,
Drew forth the manner of my life and death.
“This knight,” quoth he, “both lived and died in love.
And for his love tried fortune of the wars.
And by war’s fortune lost both love and life.”
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Then know, Andrea, that thou art arrived
Where thou shalt see the author of thy death,
Don Balthazar, the prince of Portingale,
Deprived of life by Bel-Imperia.
Here sit we down to see the mystery,
And serve for Chorus in this tragedy.
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Act 1, Scene 4 Quotes
I took him up, and wound him in mine arms,
And welding him unto my private tent,
There laid him down, and dewed him with my tears,
And sighed and sorrowed as became a friend.
But neither friendly sorrow, sighs nor tears
Could win pale Death from his usurped right.
Yet this I did, and less I could not do:
I saw him honoured with due funeral.
This scarf I plucked from off his lifeless arm,
And wear it in remembrance of my friend.
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Ay, go Horatio, leave me here alone,
For solitude best fits my cheerless mood.
Yet what avails to wail Andrea’s death,
From whence Horatio proves my second love?
Had he not loved Andrea as he did,
He could not sit in Bel-Imperia’s thoughts.
But how can love find harbour in my breast,
Till I revenge the death of my beloved?
Yes, second love shall further my revenge.
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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.
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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.
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The Ghost of Andrea Character Timeline in The Spanish Tragedy
The timeline below shows where the character The Ghost of Andrea appears in The Spanish Tragedy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1, Scene 1
The Ghost of Andrea and Revenge enter. In life, Don Andrea was a Spanish courtier, and he served the...
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According to Minos, Andrea “both lived and died in love,” and Aeacus suggested they send him to the fields...
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Act 1, Scene 2
...Portingale were well-equipped, and they were locked in battle for hours, until the brave Don Andrea broke through the Portingale’s line. The Portingales began to retreat, but their prince, Balthazar, killed...
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Act 1, Scene 4
Bel-Imperia enters with Horatio. She says that she must know how Andrea died, and Horatio agrees to tell her, provided she excuse his “tears and sighs.” During...
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Bel-Imperia tells Horatio that she knows the scarf well. She gave it to Andrea before he left for war, and he promised to wear it for her. Now, she...
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...is her “second love,” but she can’t fully giver herself to him until she avenges Andrea’s death. On the other hand, loving Horatio does further her revenge. Balthazar is clearly interested...
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Act 1, Scene 5
As the Ghost of Andrea looks on, he grows increasingly angry. Balthazar, his murderer and the supposed prisoner of Spain,...
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Act 2, Scene 6
The Ghost of Andrea looks to Revenge and asks if he has been brought here only to increase Andrea’s...
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Act 3, Scene 9
...She doesn’t know why Hieronimo has not yet avenged Horatio’s death. As Bel-Imperia cries to Andrea, one of Lorenzo’s servants enters and tells Bel-Imperia to come with him.
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Act 3, Scene 10
...found Bel-Imperia in the garden with Horatio. In light of Bel-Imperia’s “old disgrace” with Don Andrea, which was sure to be sustained with her relationship with Horatio, Lorenzo killed Horatio.
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...has kept her locked up all this time, and Lorenzo says that her sadness over Andrea’s death has angered their father, the Duke of Castile. Lorenzo leans in and whispers into...
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Act 3, Scene 14
...Bel-Imperia enter, and Castile tells Bel-Imperia to cheer up. “It is not now as when Andrea lived,” Castile says. “We have forgotten and forgiven that, / And thou art graced with...
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Act 3, Scene 15
Meanwhile, Revenge has fallen asleep and the Ghost of Andrea, who is growing more and more impatient, wakes him. Revenge tells Andrea to leave him...
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Suddenly, a Dumb Show enters, performs a silent masque, and leaves. The Ghost of Andrea is confused, and he asks Revenge to explain. Revenge says that the actors have just...
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Act 4, Scene 5
The Ghost of Andrea is pleased with the end of Hieronimo’s play. Horatio is dead, Andrea says to Revenge,...
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