author
Thomas Kyd
1558–1594
Best known for The Spanish Tragedy, this early Elizabethan dramatist helped shape the revenge play that later flourished on the English stage. Though much about his life remains uncertain, his work had a lasting impact on Renaissance drama.
2 Audiobooks
The Spanish Tragedie
by Thomas Kyd
The Spanish Tragedy
by Thomas Kyd
About the author
Born in London and baptized on November 6, 1558, he was the son of Francis Kyd, a scrivener, and was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School. Records of his life are patchy, which is one reason he remains a slightly shadowy figure despite his importance.
His reputation rests mainly on The Spanish Tragedy, a hugely influential play that helped define English revenge tragedy. Scholars and reference sources consistently credit it as a major force in the development of Elizabethan drama, and it is often linked with the theatrical world that shaped later works such as Hamlet.
His final years were troubled. He was arrested in 1593, and his name has long been connected with the controversies surrounding Christopher Marlowe; he was buried on August 15, 1594. Even with so many details of his life lost, he is still remembered as one of the key playwrights of the generation before Shakespeare.