This book provides an introductory perspective on its subject together with detailed studies of the major non-Shakespearean tragedies. It assumes that the central and most disturbing insights of the plays were expressed in terms of the thought patterns of the time.

The Changeling is a popular Renaissance tragedy in which the relationship between money, sex, and power is explored. Frequently performed and studied in University courses, it is a key text in the New Mermaids series.

Introducing the reader to important topics in English Renaissance tragedy, this Companion presents fresh readings of key texts.

"An intense and horrible view of life."--T. S. Eliot "This drama must now be acknowledged, for dramtic power, for coherence of structure, for astonishing compression and consistency of language, and for superb unity of tone, surpassed in the whole Elizabethan repertory by only the few greatest plays."--Lawrence J. Ross In the family of passions none is more patient than hate. This masterpiece of the Elizabethan stage, first published in 1607, is a study of debauchery, deep offense, and the high cost of revenge. It is often compared to Hamlet for its relentless tension and its lecherous royalty. Its protagonist, Vindice, is one of the most memorable characters in all of Renaissance theater, a murderer who will not let a single enemy remain alive.

As the Elizabethan era gave way to the reign of James I, England grappled with corruption within the royal court and widespread religious anxiety. Dramatists responded with morally complex plays of dark wit and violent spectacle, exploring the nature of death, the abuse of power and vigilante justice. In Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy a father failed by the Spanish court seeks his own bloody retribution for his son's murder. Shakespeare's 1603 version of Hamlet creates an avenging Prince of unique psychological depth, while Chettle's The Tragedy of Hoffman is a fascinating reworking of Hamlet's themes, probably for a rival theatre company. In Marston's Antonio's Revenge, thwarted love leads inexorably to gory reprisals and in Middleton's The Revenger's Tragedy, malcontent Vindice unleashes an escalating orgy of mayhem on a debauched Duke for his bride's murder, in a ferocious satire reflecting the mounting disillusionment of the age. Emma Smith's introduction considers the political and religious climate behind the plays and the dramatic conventions within them. This edition includes a chronology, playwrights' biographies and suggestions for further reading.