‘The law is a wise serpent’: Subtextual subversion in 'The Revenger’s Tragedy'

Starting from a general overview of the crisis of authority that marked the early modern period due to the Reformation, this paper explores the strategies of subtextual subversion that characterise Renaissance drama, notably Revenge tragedies. With its focus on the representation of power, law and justice in The Revenger’s Tragedy, this study analyses the dramatist’s ability to communicate on different levels, using theatrical self-reflexivity, figurative language and irony to call into question received notions of authority.