Titus Andronicus

William Shakespeare

56 pages 1-hour read

William Shakespeare

Titus Andronicus

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1594

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Titus is a battle-hardened Roman general who has fought a ten-year war against the Goths, sacrificing twenty-one of his twenty-five sons in service to the empire. He holds absolute faith in Roman tradition and laws, believing his immense sacrifices guarantee him respect and authority. Exhausted by warfare, he declines the imperial throne but expects to maintain his family's high standing in peacetime.

Key Relationships

Father of Lucius

Father of Mutius

Father of Martius

Father of Quintus

Father of Lavinia

Brother of Marcus

Captor of Tamora

Loyal Subject to Saturninus

Tamora is the defeated queen of the Goths who is thrust into Roman society as a captive. Confronted with the harsh realities of Roman martial law, she relies on her sharp intellect and adaptability to survive her new circumstances. She publicly adopts the role of a temperate, conciliatory woman, though she masks a deep-seated desire to exact revenge on the general who decimated her family.

Key Relationships

Wife of Saturninus

Secretly Allied with Aaron the Moor

Mother of Demetrius

Mother of Chiron

Mother of Alarbus

Aaron is an observant and ruthlessly ambitious companion brought to Rome with the defeated Goths. Preferring to operate in the shadows, he leverages his private influence over the newly elevated Tamora to manipulate the Roman elite. He possesses a cynical view of Roman civilization and consciously embraces a villainous archetype to provoke conflict for his own satisfaction.

Key Relationships

Secretly Allied with Tamora

Advisor to Demetrius

Advisor to Chiron

Manipulator of Saturninus

Hostile to The Nurse

Lavinia is the only daughter of Titus Andronicus and represents the Roman ideal of chaste, dutiful womanhood. She is a quiet, obedient figure who quickly finds herself treated as a prize in the political maneuvering following the emperor's death. Her presence exposes the extreme vulnerability of women in a society ruled by masculine honor and casual brutality.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Titus Andronicus

Betrothed of Bassianus

Sister of Lucius

Sister of Mutius

Sister of Martius

Sister of Quintus

Niece of Marcus

Desired by Saturninus

Saturninus is the eldest son of the late emperor and claims the throne by right of succession. He is proud, deeply insecure, and quick to take offense when he feels his authority is questioned. Lacking genuine political skill or military glory, he relies on entitlement, quickly elevating a captured queen to empower his own standing and spite his perceived rivals.

Key Relationships

Older Brother of Bassianus

Husband of Tamora

Emperor over Titus Andronicus

Suitor to Lavinia

Emperor to Emillius

Judge of The Clown

Marcus is a Tribune of the Roman people and Titus's brother. He functions as a mediator and diplomat in a highly volatile society. Preferring eloquent negotiation over bloodshed, he attempts to guide his martial family through the treacherous political currents of a newly crowned, unstable emperor.

Key Relationships

Brother of Titus Andronicus

Uncle of Lavinia

Uncle of Lucius

Father of Publius

Tribune to Saturninus

Lucius is Titus's eldest surviving son and a fierce Roman warrior. He wholly embraces his family's martial codes and retributive justice, acting as their primary voice when challenging authority. His uncompromising dedication to Roman honor places him on a direct collision course with the new imperial court.

Key Relationships

Brother of Lavinia

Father of Young Lucius

Brother of Mutius

Brother of Martius

Brother of Quintus

Supporting Characters

Bassianus is the younger son of the late emperor. He possesses a calmer, more honorable demeanor than his older brother. He deeply respects the Andronici family and acts decisively to protect his prior betrothal to Lavinia. This action sets off a chain of fractures within the Roman elite.

Key Relationships

Younger Brother of Saturninus

Betrothed of Lavinia

Supporter of Titus Andronicus

Demetrius is Tamora's eldest surviving son. Arrogant and impulsive, he is quick to assert his superiority and acts largely on his aggressive, untamed urges. He blindly follows his mother's vengeance, demonstrating the same capacity for cruelty as his Roman captors.

Key Relationships

Son of Tamora

Older Brother of Chiron

Advised by Aaron the Moor

Hostile toward Lavinia

Chiron is the younger of Tamora's surviving sons. He operates closely with his brother Demetrius, matching him in entitlement and cruelty. He lacks independent motivation, functioning instead as a willing participant in his mother's retribution and Aaron's chaotic schemes.

Key Relationships

Son of Tamora

Younger Brother of Demetrius

Advised by Aaron the Moor

Mutius is one of Titus's few surviving sons. Like his brothers, he has been raised strictly within the Roman military tradition and holds absolute loyalty to his family's concept of honor, even when it demands defying his own father to protect a promise.

Key Relationships

Brother of Lucius

Brother of Lavinia

Martius is a battle-tested son of Titus Andronicus. Having survived brutal campaigns against the Goths, he remains fiercely loyal to his family's cause but finds himself entirely ill-prepared for the domestic treachery and secret plots of peacetime Rome.

Key Relationships

Brother of Quintus

Brother of Lucius

Quintus is a dutiful son of Titus Andronicus. He supports his brothers without question, expecting a peaceful return to Rome, only to find himself swept up in courtly conspiracies and paralyzing fear.

Key Relationships

Brother of Martius

Brother of Lucius

Young Lucius is Titus's grandson and the son of Lucius. He represents the next generation of Roman citizens. He is a sensitive boy who is forced to endure the terrifying and violent world of the adults around him, heavily influenced by their relentless desires for retribution.

Key Relationships

Son of Lucius

Grandson of Titus Andronicus

Nephew of Lavinia

Alarbus is the eldest son of the Goth queen. He functions as an early catalyst for the escalating conflict between the Goths and the Romans. He embodies the steep human cost of martial traditions and the brutal nature of retributive justice.

Key Relationships

Son of Tamora

Brother of Demetrius

Brother of Chiron

The Nurse is an attendant in the imperial household. She is tasked with managing the immediate, dangerous consequences of the secrets held by the Roman elite. This position leaves her highly vulnerable to the violent whims of her superiors.

Key Relationships

Servant to Tamora

Messenger to Aaron the Moor

The Clown is a common Roman citizen going about his daily business. Entirely unaware of the lethal political tensions surrounding the imperial family, he is easily drawn into the elite's conflicts as an unwitting messenger.

Key Relationships

Hired Messenger for Titus Andronicus

Unwitting Messenger to Saturninus

Publius is Marcus's son and a loyal member of the extended Andronici clan. He humors his uncle's severe distress and offers steady support during the family's darkest hours.

Key Relationships

Son of Marcus

Emillius is a Roman messenger and official. He functions as a bridge between the isolated political elites in Rome and the advancing military realities outside the city walls.

Key Relationships

Messenger to Saturninus

Diplomat to Lucius