The Spanish Tragedy Theme of Memory and the Past

The Spanish Tragedy wants to make past memories real. And by real we mean living, present, and in some cases even touchable. Memory is the great mover in the play. To make this point clear the play goes out of its way to link memories to what motivates characters to pursue violent forms of justice. Memories of murdered loved ones and tokens of remembrance inspire violent action from seemingly law-abiding characters. And we also witness how memories of past crimes inspire new crimes in a seemingly endless loop. You could say memory haunts the play like a ghost. Oh yeah, there is a ghost that haunts the play. And when you think about it, ghosts are really just really spooky memories of life. And don't you ever forget that.

1. You could argue that the biggest thing that happens in the play doesn't even happen in the play. And that's because the biggest thing that happens is just a memory. The play opens with a ghost talking about his life in the past tense. And this past tense ghost is the impetus of every single murder that happens in the play. Consider how the memory of Andrea's murder haunts and motivates his friends. And then consider how his memory haunts and motivates his enemies. Would the world of the play be a better place if everyone had shorter memories? Do memories inspire anyone in the play to do something positive?
2. A ghost is really just a memory of life. In this respect, a haunted house is just a home with a really vivid memory. As a haunted play, how does The Spanish Tragedy ask you to remember a murder we never witness? Does the ghost give enough details to provide a vivid memory of how he died? Or does the text leave information out putting the burden on you to imaginatively create your own memory? Without looking at the text, write a descriptive paragraph about how Andrea dies—make it a little short story. Did you add new details? Lose others? Consider how our reading memories can influence the way we experience a text.
3. There's a handkerchief that gets a lot of mileage in the play. First it's a love token from Bel-Imperia to Andrea. And then it becomes a love token between Bel-Imperia and Horatio. Finally, Hieronimo smears it with the blood of Horatio to serve as a reminder to spur his revenge. Characters repeatedly forget what the hanky once was so they can remember it as something new. What does this hanky tell us about human memory and loyalty?
4. The play portrays the afterlife as a memory of life. That is, the memory of how a character lives his/her life is used as a means to dole out punishments and rewards after death. Examine the first speech alongside the last scene of the play with a mind to how memory and the afterlife are used to explore the problems of justice among the living.

The Spanish Tragedy gives conflicting reports on important events in the play, which ultimately puts the burden on readers to make tough choices while forming our own memories while reading.

Revenge is motivated by memories that lead to violence that in turn create new memories that inspire new revenge, making The Spanish Tragedy a complex exploration of how violence self-perpetuates in human culture.