Verge

The Spanish Tragedy is widely considered a seminal work in English dramatic history, not only for its contemporary popularity but for its influence upon later secular tragedy. Nonetheless the role of its protagonist Hieronimo, as Knight Marshal of the Spanish court, has never been properly defined. This chapter recovers his English office’s ancient connection to the Verge, that is, the legal and virtually sacred space extending from and around the body of the English king. After a sketch of the origins and historical evolution of the Court of the Verge (or Marshalsea), it is shown for the first time how this anachronistic and highly contradictory space informs the structure and logic of the play. Within and around the Verge, role-play and affective alienation were enduringly connected to the performance of revenge. In The Spanish Tragedy, the tragic court took new shape; the avenger appeared on its margins.