English renaissance tragedy : Kyd’s the Spanish 13 tragedy and Marlowe’s doctor Faustus in perspective

الملخص EN

In this paper, I shall be trying to investigate the nature of the English Renaissance drama through two prominent examples: Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy (1556- 1857) and Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (1588-1593).

In order to carry out this aim Kyd's play (probably performed 1586–7), will be looked at as the first successful English example of tragedy, for its force and originality was widely acknowledged, and Marlowe's play (probably performed 1592) as an artistic expression of the Renaissance spirit, a recreation of the Faust legend.

The English idea of a Renaissance tragedy seems here to be a mixture of the ideas of Aristotle, Seneca, and English medieval tradition but with a significant step ahead necessitated by the Renaissance artistic and intellectual achievements.

Thus to illuminate this process of transformation, the paper will start by tracing the development of the conception of tragedy, from classical times until the Renaissance period, and then spotlighting the close link between the native dramatic tradition and the classical influence with an eye on the English contribution.

The critical approach followed can be described as descriptive and sometimes as historical in certain aspects.

The texts of the two plays will be used as a primary source and other relevant critical works as a secondary source that sheds some light on the main topic.