Revenge Tragedy

Post by **adamblue** » 28 Feb 2006

I just wanted to point out that the basic plotline of Silent Hill 3 feels connected to Renaissance revenge tragedies. Usually in a revenge tragedy, the sympathetic main character swears revenge on someone who has murdered a loved one and either seeks to kill them or hurt them in the same way the protaganist has been hurt (Heather wanting to kill Claudia, and also Heather killing Leonard).
Often in the course of seeking retribution they harm or use others along the way ((Heather and Douglas (think revenge ending)), and end up being tainted and twisted by their own hellbent desire for vengeance no matter what the cost (again revenge ending, and Vincent saying "They look like monsters to you?" in relation to the cult members).
I think it's no coincidence that the first real puzzle you come across in the mall concerns famous Shakespearean tragedies, and specifically that most famous of revenge tragedies, Hamlet. ((Who, let's not forget, loses at least some of his sanity in the course of revenging his fathers death and questions the very nature of his existence along the way ("to be or not to be") just as Heather begins to question and realize important things about the true nature of her existence).
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Any thoughts?
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And they are also very, Very violent plays. (I took English Renaissance Drama in college and was really surprised at some of the brutal things in these plays).
I took this from the wikipedia entry on revenge tragedies "Because of the explicit detail of the genre's gruesomeness, it is considered a precursor of horror fiction"

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » 01 Mar 2006

I'd say it was a kewinkie-dink, if not for a couple of other posts pointing out direct connections and references to specific media such as Eraserhead and Jacob's Ladder.
With those in mind, I'd have to say it was derived directly from such a concept, though it's an unfamiliar one to me.

Post by **amphreded** » 01 Mar 2006

I can see that SH3 has that "Renaissance" play sense. The Renaissance era wasn't exactly the most civilized time, people were still in fear of getting stabbed behind the back all the time.
In term of storyline, Renaissance I can relate; but in term of visual presentation and ornamentation, I'm thinking Italian Rococo.

Post by **PeachySakura24** » 01 Mar 2006

In term of storyline, Renaissance I can relate; but in term of visual presentation and ornamentation, I'm thinking Italian Rococo.

Holy cow, amphreded, we might just have to become best friends. Are you an art major by chance?
I like the idea of a Renaissance revenge motif. Team Silent drew inspiration from many sources. It would make sense that perhaps some of the themes are drawn from the books in the first puzzle. Very good observation.

Post by **amphreded** » 02 Mar 2006

PeachySakura24 wrote:
In term of storyline, Renaissance I can relate; but in term of visual presentation and ornamentation, I'm thinking Italian Rococo.
Holy cow, amphreded, we might just have to become best friends. Are you an art major by chance?

Hehe, no I'm not an art major. I'm a music technology major. But in my major, I have to take musicology, which deals with art of the older eras as well

Post by **PeachySakura24** » 02 Mar 2006

Sweet. I used to think I might be a music major, but it didn't work out that way. Now I shall design video games.

Post by **Hir0Protagonist** » 02 Mar 2006

While it's not strictly a revenge tragedy it most certainly has that basic plot structure in it. Also, though the content of the games is inspired by Jacob's Ladder etc. it doesn't mean it follows their plot structure as well.