Violence in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama

This thesis explores the theme of violence in three plays written in Renaissance England: Thomas Kyd?s The Spanish Tragedy, John Webster?s The Duchess of Malfi, and Shakespeare?s Titus Andronicus. Through an analysis of the motives of the characters who use violence, it raises questions about whether the individual use of violence in these plays form a challenge against female independence, religion and the socio-political order, and whether it reflects the violence in society. It explores the connection between violence and madness. This study also looks for the traces of violence in these plays in relation to the socio-political and cultural framework of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. Thus, it is made clear that The Spanish Tragedy, Titus Andronicus, and The Duchess of Malfi create awareness about the various reasons behind violence. Keywords: violence, tragedy, blood, revenge