Pedringano Character Analysis in The Spanish Tragedy

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:

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), Pedringano, Bel-Imperia, Balthazar

Page Number and Citation: 30

Explanation and Analysis:

What, will you murder me?

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

Related Characters: Lorenzo (speaker), Horatio (speaker), Balthazar, Pedringano, Serberine, Bel-Imperia

Page Number and Citation: 41

Explanation and Analysis:

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), Pedringano, Serberine, Hieronimo, Bel-Imperia, Horatio

Page Number and Citation: 57

Explanation and Analysis:

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), Pedringano, Serberine, Lorenzo

Related Symbols: The Box

Page Number and Citation: 65

Explanation and Analysis:

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), Serberine, Horatio, Pedringano, Lorenzo’s Page

Related Symbols: The Box

Page Number and Citation: 67

Explanation and Analysis:

Pedringano Character Timeline in The Spanish Tragedy

The timeline below shows where the character Pedringano appears in The Spanish Tragedy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...and Balthazar shudders at the thought. Lorenzo claims that he has a plan, and calls Pedringano, his sister’s servant, into the room. Lorenzo tells Pedringano that he will reward him with... (full context)

At first, Pedringano tells Lorenzo and Balthazar that he doesn’t know who loves Bel-Imperia. Lorenzo draws his sword,... (full context)

Pedringano exits, leaving Lorenzo and Balthazar alone. Balthazar is upset, but he is also pleased. He... (full context)

Horatio enters with Bel-Imperia, and Pedringano shows Lorenzo and Balthazar to a hiding place above, where they are able to spy... (full context)

Horatio, Bel-Imperia, and Pedringano enter the garden, where Horatio and Bel-Imperia can visit while Pedringano guards the gate. Bel-Imperia... (full context)

...of their love. Horatio kisses her, and Bel-Imperia suddenly hears someone else enter the garden. “Pedringano!” she yells. “We are betrayed!” Lorenzo enters with Balthazar and his servant, Serberine. Pedringano is... (full context)

...home of the Duke of Castile, so he decides to find Bel-Imperia and ask her. Pedringano enters, and Hieronimo asks where he can find Bel-Imperia. Lorenzo appears and claims that Bel-Imperia... (full context)

Lorenzo, suspicious of Hieronimo, tells Pedringano that Serberine must have told Hieronimo about Horatio’s murder. Pedringano insists that Serberine has been... (full context)

...sure that he is not identified as Horatio’s killer, which means he must dispose of Pedringano and Serberine. If the servants live, then Lorenzo must worry about their faithfulness and fear... (full context)

Pedringano arrives at the park with a pistol. Lorenzo has given him more gold, and Pedringano... (full context)

Pedringano fires the pistol, shooting Serberine dead, and he is immediately apprehended by the watchmen. They... (full context)

...Balthazar is shocked and asks who murdered him, and the page reports that it was Pedringano, who has been apprehended for the crime. Lorenzo feigns disbelief, and Balthazar, claiming he will... (full context)

...that every man has his own secrets. Suddenly, a messenger enters with a letter from Pedringano. In the letter, Pedringano says he hopes Lorenzo will come to his aid in his... (full context)

Lorenzo turns to his page and tells him to go to Pedringano in prison. He is to tell Pedringano that his pardon has been signed and not... (full context)

...to look inside. Had Lorenzo said nothing and just told him to show it to Pedringano, chances are he would have never thought of opening it. But now that Lorenzo has... (full context)

...do them justice, when unjustly we, / For all our wrongs, can compass no redress.” Pedringano enters, bound and led by officers, and the deputy orders him to step forward. Pedringano... (full context)

A hangman enters and asks Pedringano if he is ready, and Pedringano asks for what. The hangman reminds Pedringano that it... (full context)

...again that he must seek revenge, and the hangman enters with a letter taken from Pedringano’s dead body. He hands Hieronimo the paper and exits. The letter is written by Pedringano... (full context)

...with Lorenzo and Lorenzo’s page. Lorenzo asks the page if he is sure he saw Pedringano’s dead body, and the page insists he has. The page exits, and a servant enters... (full context)

...end of Hieronimo’s play. Horatio is dead, Andrea says to Revenge, as are Serberine and Pedringano. Isabella, is dead too, and so is Balthazar, the Duke of Castile, and Lorenzo. Bel-Imperia... (full context)

The Spanish Tragedy

Pedringano Character Analysis

Pedringano Quotes in The Spanish Tragedy

Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

Act 2, Scene 4 Quotes

Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

Act 3, Scene 5 Quotes

Act 3, Scene 6 Quotes

Pedringano Character Timeline in The Spanish Tragedy