Titus Andronicus - William Shakespeare
Summary "Titus Andronicus" is William Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy, a gruesome tale of revenge, violence, and political intrigue set in ...
Summary
"Titus Andronicus" is William Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy, a gruesome tale of revenge, violence, and political intrigue set in ancient Rome. The play opens with Titus Andronicus, a revered Roman general, returning triumphant from war against the Goths, bringing their queen, Tamora, and her sons as captives. After sacrificing Tamora's eldest son, Alarbus, Titus is offered the emperorship but declines, endorsing Saturninus, the late Emperor's eldest son. Saturninus, however, quickly turns against Titus, taking Tamora as his Empress and initiating a chain of events fueled by Tamora's thirst for revenge for her son's death.
Tamora, with her lover Aaron the Moor and her remaining sons Demetrius and Chiron, systematically destroys Titus's family. They orchestrate the murder of Titus's son-in-law, Bassianus, and the brutal rape and mutilation of his daughter, Lavinia. Then, they frame two of Titus's sons for Bassianus's murder, leading to their execution after Titus sacrifices his own hand in a false promise of their release. Overwhelmed by grief and injustice, Titus descends into madness, plotting his horrific revenge. His exiled son, Lucius, gathers an army of Goths to march on Rome.
The play culminates in a macabre banquet where Titus, feigning complete madness, serves Tamora, Saturninus, Demetrius, and Chiron a pie made from the baked flesh of Tamora's own sons, whom he has personally killed. He then kills Lavinia to end her suffering, stabs Tamora, and is himself killed by Saturninus, who is immediately slain by Lucius. The play ends with Lucius being proclaimed Emperor, bringing a semblance of order back to a Rome devastated by extreme violence and unending cycles of retribution.
Book Sections
Section 1 (Act 1)
The play opens in Rome, where the people are gathered to choose a new emperor. The two main candidates are Saturninus and Bassianus, sons of the late Emperor. Suddenly, Titus Andronicus, a celebrated Roman general, returns victorious from a ten-year war against the Goths. He brings with him Tamora, the Queen of the Goths, her three sons, and Aaron the Moor, as captives. Rome hails Titus as a hero, having lost twenty-one of his twenty-five sons in service to the state. As a traditional Roman ritual, Titus's surviving son Lucius demands a sacrifice of a Gothic prisoner to appease the spirits of the fallen Andronici. Despite Tamora's pleas, Titus sacrifices her eldest son, Alarbus.
The tribunes offer Titus the emperorship, but he declines, stating he is too old and prefers to remain a soldier. He endorses Saturninus, the eldest son of the late emperor. Saturninus is crowned Emperor but immediately expresses his desire to marry Titus's daughter, Lavinia, who is already betrothed to Bassianus, Saturninus's brother. Titus, ever loyal to the Emperor, agrees, ignoring Lavinia's and Bassianus's protests. Bassianus, with the help of Titus's sons, takes Lavinia away, asserting her right to marry him. Enraged by this defiance, Titus kills one of his own sons, Mutius, for siding with Bassianus.
Saturninus, feeling slighted by Titus and swayed by Tamora's cunning flattery, denounces Lavinia and declares his intention to marry Tamora instead, making her Empress of Rome. Tamora, secretly burning with revenge for the death of her son Alarbus, readily accepts, securing a position of immense power. Titus's brother, Marcus, and his remaining sons try to make amends with Saturninus, but the damage is done. Tamora begins to manipulate Saturninus against Titus and his family.
| Character | Characteristics | Motivations |
|---|---|---|
| Titus Andronicus | Revered Roman general, honorable, rigid, loyal to Rome and its traditions, somewhat naive in politics, proud. | To serve Rome, maintain family honor, uphold tradition, see a worthy emperor on the throne, initial desire to sacrifice Alarbus for the fallen Andronici. |
| Tamora | Queen of the Goths, captured, intelligent, manipulative, vengeful, ambitious, cunning. | To seek revenge for the sacrifice of her eldest son Alarbus, gain power, protect her remaining sons. |
| Saturninus | Eldest son of the late Emperor, claims the throne, arrogant, tyrannical, lustful, easily swayed, insecure. | To become Emperor, assert his authority, satisfy his lust for power and women, punish perceived slights. |
| Bassianus | Younger brother of Saturninus, honorable, principled, in love with Lavinia. | To marry Lavinia, uphold his rights and promises, challenge Saturninus's tyranny. |
| Aaron | A Moor, Tamora's secret lover, cunning, malicious, sadistic, nihilistic, master manipulator. | To cause chaos, revel in villainy, serve Tamora's revenge (and his own sadistic pleasure), assert his intelligence and power over the Romans. |
| Lavinia | Titus's daughter, chaste, virtuous, honorable, betrothed to Bassianus. | To marry Bassianus, maintain her honor and fidelity. |
| Lucius | Titus's eldest surviving son, valiant, outspoken, initially loyal, later driven to seek justice. | To uphold Roman traditions, honor his family, seek justice for the wrongs committed against his family. |
| Marcus Andronicus | Titus's brother, a Tribune, voice of reason, tries to mediate. | To maintain peace, uphold Roman law, support his brother, try to prevent further tragedy. |
| Demetrius | Tamora's son, arrogant, lustful, cruel, subservient to his mother. | To pursue Lavinia, satisfy his desires, participate in his mother's revenge. |
| Chiron | Tamora's son, arrogant, lustful, cruel, subservient to his mother, brother to Demetrius. | To pursue Lavinia, satisfy his desires, participate in his mother's revenge. |
| Martius & Quintus | Titus's sons, loyal to their family, initially support Bassianus. | To support their family, defend Lavinia's honor. |
| Mutius | Titus's son, killed by Titus. | To defend Lavinia's right to marry Bassianus, uphold what he believes is right. |
| Alarbus | Tamora's eldest son, sacrificed by Titus. | (No active motivation, as he is sacrificed early on. His death serves as the catalyst for Tamora's revenge.) |
Section 2 (Act 2)
Aaron, the Moor, reveals his villainous nature and his secret affair with Tamora, as he plans to carry out her revenge against the Andronici. He devises a plot to discredit Bassianus and Lavinia. Early in the morning, while the Emperor, Tamora, and their entourage are out hunting in a forest, Aaron buries a bag of gold near a pit, knowing Bassianus and Lavinia will pass by.
Demetrius and Chiron, Tamora's sons, reveal their lust for Lavinia to Aaron. Aaron, seeing an opportunity to further Tamora's revenge and indulge his own malice, encourages them to rape her, promising to help them get rid of Bassianus. As Bassianus and Lavinia pass through the forest, Demetrius and Chiron accost them. Bassianus is killed by Tamora's sons and his body thrown into the pit. Lavinia, despite her pleas, is brutally raped and mutilated by Demetrius and Chiron, who cut off her tongue to prevent her from speaking and chop off her hands to prevent her from writing, ensuring she cannot identify her attackers.
Aaron then returns to the pit, knowing Titus's sons will soon discover Bassianus's body. He manipulates Quintus and Martius (Titus's sons) into falling into the pit with Bassianus's body. When Saturninus, Tamora, and the rest of the hunting party arrive, Aaron "discovers" Bassianus's body and frames Quintus and Martius for his murder, claiming they killed him for the gold he planted nearby. Saturninus, urged on by Tamora, immediately orders the arrest of Titus's two sons, condemning them to death.
Section 3 (Act 3)
Titus, distraught and heartbroken, pleads with Saturninus for the lives of his sons, Martius and Quintus, but the Emperor remains unmoved, influenced by Tamora. Titus, Marcus, and Lucius beg for clemency, but their pleas are rejected. Instead, a messenger arrives with news that the Emperor demands that Titus, Marcus, or Lucius cut off one of their hands and send it to him, promising that in exchange, the two condemned sons will be pardoned and returned.
Titus, believing this to be a genuine offer, volunteers to sacrifice his hand. Marcus and Lucius also offer their hands, but Titus insists, eager to save his sons. Aaron, with a feigned show of sympathy, encourages Titus and promises to deliver the hand to the Emperor. Titus cuts off his hand and gives it to Aaron. However, Aaron soon returns, not with Titus's sons, but with their severed heads and Titus's own hand. Aaron cruelly mocks Titus, revealing the Emperor's deception.
Overwhelmed by this final, devastating blow, Titus descends into a profound state of madness and grief. He orders Lucius, his only remaining adult son, to flee Rome and raise an army among the Goths to seek justice. Titus, Marcus, and the mutilated Lavinia sit together, weeping. Lavinia, unable to speak or write, tries to communicate her anguish and the identity of her attackers.
Section 4 (Act 4)
Titus, now deeply insane, tries to cope with his grief. He carries arrows and shoots them towards the heavens, sending messages to the gods, hoping they will deliver justice. Marcus tries to comfort him and interpret Lavinia's silent suffering. Lavinia, using a stick and sand, manages to draw the names of her rapists – Demetrius and Chiron – by mimicking how Ovid's Philomel, after her tongue was cut out, revealed her rapist by weaving a tapestry. Marcus and Titus are horrified to realize the full extent of the atrocity committed by Tamora's sons.
Young Lucius, Titus's grandson, arrives, bringing news that his father, Lucius (Titus's son), has successfully raised an army of Goths and is marching towards Rome to avenge his family. Meanwhile, Tamora, concerned by Titus's increasingly erratic behavior, decides to visit him, accompanied by Demetrius and Chiron. They disguise themselves as the spirits of Revenge, Rape, and Murder, believing Titus's madness will make him susceptible to their manipulations. Tamora, as "Revenge," promises Titus he will have his retribution, encouraging him to exact vengeance, not realizing he is feigning madness.
Titus, however, sees through their disguise and pretends to play along with their charade. He asks "Revenge" (Tamora) to bring "Rape" (Demetrius) and "Murder" (Chiron) to a banquet at his house, promising to help them with a secret plot against Lucius. Tamora agrees, eager to further torment Titus and secure her position. As soon as they leave, Titus reveals his true intentions to Marcus and Young Lucius: he plans a terrible, cannibalistic revenge.
Section 5 (Act 5)
Lucius, now leading an army of Goths, prepares to besiege Rome. His soldiers capture Aaron, who was attempting to flee with his illegitimate child (born to Tamora). To save his son, Aaron, under duress, confesses all his villainies to Lucius, detailing how he orchestrated the framing of Titus's sons, the rape and mutilation of Lavinia, and many other atrocities. Aaron expresses no remorse, only pride in his evil deeds. Lucius, disgusted, vows to punish Aaron severely, but first plans to use him for information to conquer Rome.
Tamora, Demetrius, and Chiron arrive at Titus's house for the promised banquet. Titus, still feigning madness, pretends to be preparing a feast. He asks Tamora where her sons Demetrius and Chiron are, and she assures him they are coming. Moments later, Titus kills Demetrius and Chiron, slitting their throats and collecting their blood in a basin, while Marcus holds the basin. Titus explains that he will grind their bones and bake their flesh into a pie, which he intends to serve to Tamora.
At the banquet, with Saturninus, Tamora, and other Roman nobles present, Titus serves the pie. Before revealing its horrific contents, he asks Saturninus if it is right for a father to kill his daughter when she has been dishonored. Saturninus agrees. Titus then stabs Lavinia to death, ending her suffering. He immediately reveals that Tamora has eaten her own sons in the pie. He then stabs Tamora to death. Enraged, Saturninus stabs Titus, killing him. Lucius, entering with his Gothic army and Marcus, witnesses the carnage and immediately kills Saturninus.
With all the major players dead, Lucius addresses the Roman people, revealing the truth of Aaron's crimes and the atrocities committed by Tamora and her sons. The Roman nobles, horrified, declare Lucius the new Emperor. Lucius condemns Aaron to be buried alive up to his chest and left to starve to death. The play concludes with the new regime promising to bury Titus and Lavinia with honor and to restore order to a devastated Rome.
Genre: Revenge Tragedy, Roman Tragedy, Tragedy
Author: William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His surviving works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Morale: The play vividly illustrates the destructive cycle of revenge. Once initiated, violence begets more violence, leading to the utter annihilation of families and societies. It questions the nature of justice and honor, suggesting that unchecked pursuit of either can lead to barbarity worse than the initial offense. The play also explores the fragility of sanity under extreme duress and the depths of human cruelty and manipulation. Ultimately, it suggests that only by breaking the cycle of retribution can true order and peace be restored.
Curiosities:
- "Titus Andronicus" is considered Shakespeare's earliest and bloodiest tragedy, often criticized for its extreme violence, which includes rape, mutilation, murder, and cannibalism.
- For centuries, the play was deemed too shocking for performance and was rarely staged. Its popularity has seen a resurgence in modern times, with directors finding new ways to interpret its themes of trauma and revenge.
- Many scholars believe "Titus Andronicus" was influenced by the Roman tragedies of Seneca, known for their sensational violence and rhetorical flourishes.
- The character of Aaron the Moor is one of Shakespeare's most purely evil villains, delighting in his own wickedness with no apparent remorse, predating Iago from "Othello" in his motiveless malignancy.
- The famous scene where Lavinia uses a stick to write in the sand, revealing her attackers, is directly inspired by Ovid's "Metamorphoses," specifically the story of Philomel.
