How we cite our quotes:
Quote #1
VINDICE
Thou sallow picture of my poisoned love,
My study's ornament, thou shell of death,
Once the bright face of my betrothed lady;(1.1.14-16)
Guys who talk to skulls are kind of a thing in revenge tragedies, so since this one opens with Vindice chatting up Gloriana's skull, we know right away to brace ourselves for a violent play. No PG ratings here.
Quote #2
VINDICE
Thee when thou wert apparelled in thy flesh,
The old duke poisoned,
Because thy purer part would not consent
Unto his palsy-lust;(1.1.31-34)
Vindice's still speaking to Gloriana's skull, and it becomes clear that the Duke is pretty ghastly. This is when we learn that he poisoned Gloriana for refusing to sleep with him… ugh.
Quote #3
VINDICE
Sword I durst make a promise of him to thee.(1.3.192)
Guess it's not just the obvious baddies who are violent in this play, since here we see that Vindice is pretty bloodthirsty, too. He begins by wanting to kill the Duke, but quickly adds Lussurioso to the list. Does it genuinely seem okay to him to kill a guy for threatening to seduce his sister? It's not the nicest of behaviors, but capital punishment seems a bit extreme.