MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

Despite the moral outcry against “torture porn” horror — movies “typically characterized by protracted scenes of ‘extreme violence and torture,’” movies like James Wan’s Saw have been remarkably successful. The labels applied to this genre—“torture” and “porn”—hint at the disdain with which most people view these movies and the underlying bewilderment that such films can not only be made, but also be successful. Surely these movies are a sign of modern sinfulness and the degradation of moral society. What happened to the classics?* Where is the Shakespeare? * These purveyors of good taste may be astonished to learn that Shakespeare and his contemporaries were just as bloody as these much-maligned modern tales of horror. The Renaissance revenge tragedy was a genre that was rife with violence, but, like modern horror movies, while the plays may have explored the taboo and the amoral, they would return to the status quo by punishing those who transgressed against the rules of society. In fact, the revenge tragedy has a great deal in common with modern horror; in addition to the carnage and the themes of punishment and retribution, Renaissance revenge plays made obvious nods to the conventions of the genre itself and used sly humor to offset the heavy feelings of disgust and unease invoked by the action. In addition, both of these genres thrived in times of uncertainty and political unrest. By examining the conventions of torture-based horror movies and the traits of Renaissance revenge tragedy, one can see how these seemingly subversive stories frame violence in a way that helps audiences process and understand sources of public anxiety.