Previous
Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Act 1, Scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—Charon and the Acheron:
In the opening scene of the play, Andrea alludes to various figures associated with the underworld in Greek mythology, including the boatman Charon and the river Acheron. He narrates the circumstances of his death and his return from the afterlife to Revenge, stating:
For in the late conflict with Portingale,
My valor drew me into danger's mouth,
Till life to death made passage through my wounds.
When I was slain, my soul descended straight,
To pass the flowing stream of Acheron;
But churlish Charon, only boatman there,
Said that, my rites of burial not performed,
I might not sit amongst his passengers.
In this flashback, Andrea states that he died fighting in a battle against the Portuguese, after which his soul “descended straight” towards the “flowing stream of Acheron.” In Greek mythology, the Acheron is one of the rivers of the underworld; in most myths, either the Acheron or the Styx divides the world of the living from that of the dead. Andrea continues, stating that “churlish Charon” denied him passage across the river, as the “rites of burial” have not yet been performed. Charon served as a ferryman for Hades in Greek myth, helping transport the souls of the deceased across the river.
Charon, then, has denied Andrea because he has unfinished business on Earth, which explains why his soul has been sent back. Andrea’s allusions to Greek myth establish that the world of this play is defined by classical mythology rather than Christian belief.
Act 3, Scene 14
Explanation and Analysis—The West Indies:
The King of Spain alludes to the Portuguese and Spanish colonies in the Americas, then known as the “New World.” Standing among various nobles while they await the Portuguese delegation, the King states:
And now to meet these Portuguese:
For, as we now are, so sometimes were these,
Kings and commanders of the western Indies.
Welcome, brave Viceroy, to the Court of Spain,
And welcome all his honorable train:
Tis not unknown to us for why you come,
Or have so kingly crossed the seas.
Despite his recent battles with the Portuguese, here he compliments them, reflecting his desire to merge both kingdoms through the marriage of his niece Bel-Imperia to the Viceroy’s son, Balthazar. “For as we now are,” he notes, “sometimes were these, kings and commanders of the western Indies.”
Here, the King alludes to the history of European colonization of the Americas. The Portuguese, experts in navigation and sailing, were early leaders in the race to claim territory in the “New World,” particularly in the "Western Indies," or, in other words, the islands of the Caribbean. However, by the time the play was written in the late 16th century, Spain had become the dominant force in New World colonization. The King’s speech, then, acknowledges the role that Portugal played in the early stages of the Era of Exploration, as well as Spain’s later naval dominance.
