Transgression in Cyril Tourneur's "A revenger's tragedy" - an analysis according to George Bataille (PDF)

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2004 im Fachbereich Anglistik - Literatur, Note: 1,0, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen (Neuphilologie), Veranstaltung: PS II: The Ethics of Reading, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Vindice, the protagonist of A Revenger's Tragedy, is not easy to judge. When it comes to the question whether to condemn, applaud or pity him, we are caught within conflicting emotions. Undoubtedly, he and his brother commit acts of horrible violence - they nail down the dukes tongue with a dagger, force him to see his wife commit adultery with his own 'bastard son' and finally kill him. But nevertheless, and not without an uncanny after-taste, Vindice also inspires our sympathy.

The surrealist philosopher Georges Bataille has, within the frame of his integral work on life itself, worked out a theory of the social function of taboos and the necessity of their very definition by transgression. It is a concept of temporary permeability of inviolable borders which could provide an interesting and helpful framework for a closer examination of Vindice's behaviour and its results.

After getting familiar with some of Bataille's most basic concepts and particular features of his thought, we will try to determine the role Bataille attributes to the concept of taboo and transgression within society. A brief look at Michel Foucault's discussion of this concept will complement to this. After having considered some complications concerning the Christian tradition, we should be able to concern ourselves with an according analysis of the play. A few introductory observations about plot, protagonist and underlying ideas will be necessary until we can finally try to employ the concept of transgression as our guide through the labyrinth of revenge.