Thomas Kyd Biography

Here are some Thomas Kyd facts about his life, works and The Spanish tragedy.

Who was Kyd and what was Thomas Kyd writing style?

Kyd was the English dramatist who wrote The Spanish Tragedy and thereby initiated the revenge tragedy of his times. The anticipation of the structure of many later plays, which included the development of middle and final climaxes. He also revealed an instinctive sense of the tragic situation.

Thomas Kyd biography pdf

Thomas Kyd quotes

• “The less I speak, the more I meditate.” …
• “My soule, poore soule thou talkes of things/ Thou knowest not what, my soule hath sliver wings,/ That mounts me up unto the highest heavens.” …
• “Let dangers go; thy war shall be with me, …
• “Qui jacet in terra non habet unde cadat.

Thomas Kyd Hamlet

Thomas Kyd is frequently referred to as the author of the hypothetical Ur-Hamlet that may have been one of Shakespeare’s primary sources for Hamlet

Is Thomas Kyd a university wit?

Yes. University wits were the notable group of pioneer English dramatists who wrote during the last 15 years of the 16th century and with their plays of quality and diversity, helped in transforming the native interlude and chronicle play.

The university wits include Marlowe, Robert Greene, and Thomas Nashe (Cambridge graduates),  Thomas Lodge and George Peele (Oxford). Another of the wits, though not university-trained, was Thomas Kyd.

What is Thomas Kyd famous for?

What did Thomas Kyd write?

He is thought to have written a play called Ur-Hamlet and most importantly The Spanish Tragedy.

When did Thomas Kyd die?

15 August 1594

Who wrote the first revenge tragedy and what is the First English Tragedy?

Thomas Kyd wrote and thug began the tradition of revenge play / first revenge tragedy. In the end, the hero kills the person who has wronged him, and typically the hero also dies. The first popular revenge tragedy, written a decade before Hamlet, was The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd.

What are the characteristics of revenge tragedy?