Revenge Tragedy is a genre of plays, applied posthumously to Shakespeare’s works. Just like modern day film and tv has genres like romance, western, or comedy, plays of Shakespeare’s lifetime had these categories, too, and today we’re going to explore a particular subcategory of tragedy known as Revenge Tragedies. While the genre itself didn’t exist in Shakespeare’s lifetime, the plays and what they are known for, were a very popular form of entertainment in both Elizabethan and Jacobean England. In fact, many consider Shakespeare’s Hamlet to the best example of Revenge Plays from this period. We are delighted to welcome back to the show Rhona Silverbush and Sami Plotkin to talk with us the ghosts, madness, and other spooky elements that constituted a good revenge play, what made them so popular for Shakespeare’s lifetime, and which playwrights in addition to Shakespeare, were penning this category into history for the 16th and 17th century.
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Rhona Silverbush wears many hats in the course of a given day. She studied psychology and theater at Brandeis University and law at Boston College Law School and then represented asylum seekers before returning to her first loves – Shakespeare and writing. Rhona has written and co-written several books, most notably Speak the Speech! Shakespeare’s Monologues Illuminated with Sami Plotkin, hailed by Sir Derek Jacobi as “A fabulous book, gloriously packed with information”. Other books include a cookbook with chefs Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortuzar and the Terrific Toddlers series of nine picture books for toddlers with Carol Zeavin. Rhona currently coaches actors in New York City, writes, tutors, and consults for families of children and teens with learning differences and special needs.
Sami Plotkin is co-author with Rhona Silverbush of ‘Speak the Speech! Shakespeare’s Monologues Illuminated”, hailed by Artistic Director Emeritus of the Royal Shakespeare Company Terry Hands as, ‘the most detailed introduction to the delights of Shakespeare that I have ever read…and worth a place in any private library.” Sami is a playwright, mystery writer and freelance writer. She coaches writing and film editing, and has also been an actor and an acting coach, presenting master classes and workshops in acting Shakespeare.
I’ll be asking Rhona Silverbush and Sami Plotkin about:
- As you may expect from the title, a revenge play has revenge as a major plot point, but what are the other elements that make a play qualify as a Revenge Tragedy?
- Many of William Shakespeare’s plays were categorized into comedy, history, or tragedy, by the printers of the First Folio who are sometimes accused of arbitrarily, or at least by their own preference, assigning these categories to plays that might not have held those genres when they were first performed. Which of Shakespeare’s plays were considered revenge plays when they were performed?
- Why is Macbeth not considered a Revenge Tragedy?
- …and more!
Books and Resources Rhona Silverbush and Sami Plotkin recommend:
Shakespeare’s Theatre and the Effects of Performance, which is a collection of fascinating essays by nine different Shakespearean authors, compiled by Farah Karim-Cooper and Tiffany Stern
Revenge Tragedy-Society’s Mirror or the Pornography of Violence?
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That Shakespeare Life is always excited to connect with fellow Shakespeareans who love learning something new about the bard. Subscribe to our show on your favorite listening platform, and please consider leaving us a rating and a review to help our show reach new listeners!
