The Spanish Tragedy

by

Thomas Kyd

Bel-Imperia’s servant. Pedringano is first introduced when Lorenzo bribes him to reveal Bel-Imperia’s love interest. Pedringano easily betrays Bel-Imperia, takes Lorenzo’s money, and reports that Bel-Imperia is in love with Horatio. Pedringano again betrays Bel-Imperia when he alerts Lorenzo and Balthazar to Bel-Imperia’s secret meeting with Horatio in the garden, and Pedringano is present—albeit in disguise—when Balthazar and Lorenzo kill Horatio. After the murder, when Lorenzo grows suspicious that Serberine has betrayed them to Hieronimo, Lorenzo pays Pedringano to kill Serberine. Pedringano shoots Serberine and is immediately arrested, although Pedringano is not worried and believes Lorenzo will secure his pardon. Lorenzo indeed sends a page to the prison with a box, which supposedly contains Pedringano’s pardon, but the box is empty. Pedringano believes until the very last minute that he will be saved; however, Lorenzo betrays Pedringano to keep the secret of Horatio’s murder, and Pedringano is hanged. In death, Andrea requests that Pedringano be “dragged through boiling Acheron, / And there live, dying still in endless flames.” Like Lorenzo, Pedringano personifies betrayal within the play, and he, too, suffers eternal punishment for his wrongdoing.

Pedringano Quotes in The Spanish Tragedy

The The Spanish Tragedy quotes below are all either spoken by Pedringano or refer to Pedringano. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Revenge and Justice  Theme Icon
).
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

I have already found a stratagem,
To sound the bottom of this doubtful theme.
My lord, for once you shall be ruled by me:
Hinder me not whate’er you hear or see.
By force or fair means will I cast about
To find the truth of all this question out.
Ho, Pedringano!

Related Characters: Lorenzo (speaker), Bel-Imperia, Balthazar, Pedringano
Page Number: 30
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 4 Quotes

What, will you murder me?

Ay, thus, and thus; these are the fruits of love.

Related Characters: Lorenzo (speaker), Horatio (speaker), Bel-Imperia, Balthazar, Pedringano, Serberine
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

This sly enquiry of Hieronimo
For Bel-lmperia breeds suspicion,
And this suspicion bodes a further ill,
As for myself, I know my secret fault;
And so do they, but I have dealt for them.
They that for coin their souls endangered,
To save my life, for coin shall venture theirs:
And better it’s that base companions die,
Than by their life to hazard our good haps.
Nor shall they live, for me to fear their faith:
I’ll trust myself, myself shall be my friend,
For die they shall, slaves are ordained to no other end.

Related Characters: Lorenzo (speaker), Hieronimo, Bel-Imperia, Horatio, Pedringano, Serberine
Page Number: 57
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 5 Quotes

My master hath forbidden me to look in this box, and by my
troth ’tis likely, if he had not warned me, I should not have had
so much idle time; for we men’s-kind in our minority are like
women in their uncertainty: that they are most forbidden,
they will soonest attempt. So I now. By my bare honesty, here’s
nothing but the bare empty box. Were it not sin against secrecy,
I would say it were a piece of gentleman-like knavery. I must
go to Pedringano, and tell him his pardon is in this box; nay, I
would have sworn it, had I not seen the contrary. I cannot choose
but smile to think how the villain will flout the gallows, scorn
the audience, and descant on the hangman, and all presuming
of his pardon from hence. Will’t not be an odd jest, for me to
stand and grace every jest he makes, pointing my finger at this
box, as who would say, ‘Mock on, here’s thy warrant.’ Is’t not a
scurvy jest that a man should jest himself to death? Alas, poor
Pedringano, I am in a sort sorry for thee, but if I should be
hanged with thee, 1 cannot weep.

Related Characters: Lorenzo’s Page (speaker), Lorenzo, Pedringano, Serberine
Related Symbols: The Box 
Page Number: 65
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 6 Quotes

Peace, impudent, for thou shalt find it so:
For blood with blood shall, while I sit as judge,
Be satisfied, and the law discharged.
And though myself cannot receive the like,
Yet will I see that others have their right.
Despatch, the fault’s approved and confessed,
And by our law he is condemned to die.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio, Pedringano, Serberine, Lorenzo’s Page
Related Symbols: The Box 
Page Number: 67
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Spanish Tragedy PDF

Pedringano Quotes in The Spanish Tragedy

The The Spanish Tragedy quotes below are all either spoken by Pedringano or refer to Pedringano. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Revenge and Justice  Theme Icon
).
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

I have already found a stratagem,
To sound the bottom of this doubtful theme.
My lord, for once you shall be ruled by me:
Hinder me not whate’er you hear or see.
By force or fair means will I cast about
To find the truth of all this question out.
Ho, Pedringano!

Related Characters: Lorenzo (speaker), Bel-Imperia, Balthazar, Pedringano
Page Number: 30
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 4 Quotes

What, will you murder me?

Ay, thus, and thus; these are the fruits of love.

Related Characters: Lorenzo (speaker), Horatio (speaker), Bel-Imperia, Balthazar, Pedringano, Serberine
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

This sly enquiry of Hieronimo
For Bel-lmperia breeds suspicion,
And this suspicion bodes a further ill,
As for myself, I know my secret fault;
And so do they, but I have dealt for them.
They that for coin their souls endangered,
To save my life, for coin shall venture theirs:
And better it’s that base companions die,
Than by their life to hazard our good haps.
Nor shall they live, for me to fear their faith:
I’ll trust myself, myself shall be my friend,
For die they shall, slaves are ordained to no other end.

Related Characters: Lorenzo (speaker), Hieronimo, Bel-Imperia, Horatio, Pedringano, Serberine
Page Number: 57
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 5 Quotes

My master hath forbidden me to look in this box, and by my
troth ’tis likely, if he had not warned me, I should not have had
so much idle time; for we men’s-kind in our minority are like
women in their uncertainty: that they are most forbidden,
they will soonest attempt. So I now. By my bare honesty, here’s
nothing but the bare empty box. Were it not sin against secrecy,
I would say it were a piece of gentleman-like knavery. I must
go to Pedringano, and tell him his pardon is in this box; nay, I
would have sworn it, had I not seen the contrary. I cannot choose
but smile to think how the villain will flout the gallows, scorn
the audience, and descant on the hangman, and all presuming
of his pardon from hence. Will’t not be an odd jest, for me to
stand and grace every jest he makes, pointing my finger at this
box, as who would say, ‘Mock on, here’s thy warrant.’ Is’t not a
scurvy jest that a man should jest himself to death? Alas, poor
Pedringano, I am in a sort sorry for thee, but if I should be
hanged with thee, 1 cannot weep.

Related Characters: Lorenzo’s Page (speaker), Lorenzo, Pedringano, Serberine
Related Symbols: The Box 
Page Number: 65
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 6 Quotes

Peace, impudent, for thou shalt find it so:
For blood with blood shall, while I sit as judge,
Be satisfied, and the law discharged.
And though myself cannot receive the like,
Yet will I see that others have their right.
Despatch, the fault’s approved and confessed,
And by our law he is condemned to die.

Related Characters: Hieronimo (speaker), Horatio, Pedringano, Serberine, Lorenzo’s Page
Related Symbols: The Box 
Page Number: 67
Explanation and Analysis: