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Revenger's go here for Alex Cox's Director's Diary and the complete original text of the play |
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Revenger's go here for Alex Cox's Director's Diary and the complete original text of the play |
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with.... |
The Plot....The Revenger's Tragedy (1606)
by Middleton  The original play
is set somewhere in Italy. The main character is Vindice (or Vendice) who lives away from the
court. The Duke poisoned Vindice's beloved nine years ago because she resisted him. His father has recently died from the Duke's unkindness. Vindice
learns from his brother Hippolito that the Duke's eldest son Lussurioso is looking for an unscrupulous servant. He disguises
himself with the name Piato and gets the job, which he finds involves seducing for Lussurioso his and
Hippolito's chaste sister Castiza (most names are figurative). The Duchess has had three sons by a previous marriage, the Duke has one bastard,
Spurio. Her Younger Son has raped the wife of a lord, Antonio; the woman killed herself, the Son is now in prison. The
Duchess is wooing Spurio. Vindice is happy to find that Castiza is incorruptible, shocked to find their Mother eager to change
her mind (she later repents). He reports to Lussurioso that he overheard the Duchess and Spurio agreeing to sleep together;
Lussurioso breaks into the bedroom but find the Duke, his Father, with the Duchess. He is arrested for attempted assassination.
The Duchess's two other sons hate Lussurioso; they forge an order for their "Brother's" execution. Only the Duke has forgiven
Lussurioso and set him free; the only "Brother" remaining in prison is their Younger Brother, who is duly executed. The Duke
asks Vindice to find him a chaste woman he can corrupt. In a secret place, Vindice gets the Duke to kiss a mask containing the
skull of his own dead lady. Poison is hidden in its mouth, and as the Duke slowly dies he sees his wife and Spurio together.
Lussurioso sacks "Piato" for his mistake and Vindice offers to "take his place" under his own name. His first job is to murder
Piato. He and Hippolito dress the Duke's body in Piato's clothes and Piato is assumed to have escaped after killing him.
Lussurioso becomes Duke, banishes the Duchess, and throws a party. Vindice and Hippolito play a masque, during which they
kill Lussurioso and his three companions. The Duchess's sons with Spurio, arriving with a similar plan, find Lussurioso dead and
kill each other over their claims to be Duke. Antonio becomes Duke and tries to understand what has happened. Vindice hopes
to be praised by Antonio, assuming that he too wanted revenge, and boastfully tells what they did. Antonio fears for his own life
and orders their immediate execution. from... Sogang
University's English Department webpage |
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