Titus Andronicus was Shakespeare’s very first tragedy. However, it’s inaccurate to say that he was entirely new to the genre, because up until this point the had written history plays, which contain elements of tragedy within the them. The play was penned between 1584 and 1590.
Authorship Debate
The play is certainly the most violent of the Shakespearean canon, it is filled with murder, rape, cannibalism and mutilation. So much so that it seems uncharacteristic of Shakespeare’s plays, adding fuel to the authorship speculations. Many wonder if Titus Andronicus was, at least in part, written by another playwright. Some have cited dramatist George Peel as the most likely collaborator.
Popularity of The Play
The gory nature of the play led to it being abandoned by Victorian theatre makers, because the very visually gruesomeness of the piece was not in keeping with the Victorian’s culture and sense of propriety.
To this day it is not one of Shakespeare’s most regularly performed plays, but it has made something of a revival and has even been transformed for the big screen in the 1999 film, Titus, starring Anthony Hopkins in the title role.
Titus Andronicus is certainly not considered to be one of Shakespeare’s great works. It has been criticised for its sensational use of violence and its uncharacteristically ordinary verse and use of language. However, it is intriguing to examine as part of Shakespeare’s growth as a playwright and an exploration of human capability for brutality, cruelty and revenge.
The hideous mutilation, cruelty and violence is undoubtedly shocking, but perhaps what it demonstrates is that society has not really altered. Movies such as the Saw franchise and Hostel prove that in over four hundred years society’s appetite for gruesome entertainment has not waned.
Synopsis of Titus Andronicus
The play opens with the triumphant return of Titus to Rome, where he and his army were battling the Goths. Upon his return Titus Andronicus is offered the honoured with being declared the new Emperor. With a heavy heart he declines the offer, claiming that the death of his two sons in battle has saddened him too greatly to accept.
The Roman army has brought back captive Goths, Queen Tamora and her sons. Titus decides to avenge his sons’ deaths by murdering Tamora’s eldest son, Alarbus. Tamora is mortified and pleads with Titus Andronicus to spare the life of her son, but Titus is deaf to her entreaty.
This decision proves costly, as Tamora is not a woman to be meddled with and she vows revenge. Titus’ daughter, Lavinia, becomes the tool with which Tamora exacts her revenge. A hideous and brutal chain of events unfurl.
Analysis of The Play
Despite the obviously sensational violence within the play and the intended visual titillation there is also some interesting characterisation within the play. Aaron, in particular is a fascinating character. There is obviously much debate about racism in regard to his character, however, it's worth pointing out that Shakespeare certainly does not make him a two-dimensional character. He is complex, and made even more so by his protection and devotion to his new-born son.
It is also interesting to see how other plays have developed from Titus Andronicus. There is a clear parallel, for example, to King Lear. Both Lear and Titus are driven mad by grief. There is also the eye-gouging scene in King Lear which is reminiscent of some of the violence in Titus Andronicus.
