Titus Andronicus

“Clear up, fair queen, that cloudy countenance:

[…] he comforts you

Can make you greater than the queen of Goths.”

Saturninus’s immediate interest in Tamora upon being gifted her as a prisoner shows both his lecherous character and his disregard for honoring his political connection to Titus since he has just agreed to marry Lavinia. Tamora has gone from being a queen to a prisoner of war; her child has just been brutally killed. Saturninus’s request that she cheer up and smile illustrates the qualities that make him ripe for her manipulation: He has a naïve disregard for how she might respond to these circumstances, taking her outward compliance at face value.

“My sons would never so dishonour me.

Traitor, restore Lavinia to the emperor.”

Titus rejects his sons, claiming that if they dishonor him, they cannot be his sons. This emphasizes that the construct of family is not built solely around bloodline to him, but also around shared honor and Roman identity. His family, as extensions of him as its head, must represent his interpretation of Roman law and values. His use of the word “traitor” reflects that in Titus’s eyes, Lucius has betrayed both the familial structure and the Roman state. For Titus, The Value of a Human lies in their participation in his worldview. His demand that Lavinia be given back to Saturninus reflects the general treatment of Lavinia in this Act: She is a political pawn and a means through which the men assert their intentions and value.

“The gods of Rome forfend

I should be author to dishonour you.”

This line is an example of Tamora’s performance of femininity and acquiescence following her engagement to Saturninus, paralleling Lavinia’s character as part of Shakespeare’s exploration of The Complications of Female Expression. This quotation illustrates her cleverness and her ability to speak persuasively to serve her ends. In appealing to the gods, she specifies the “gods of Rome,” implying to her audience that over the last few minutes, she has fully adopted Roman identity and amalgamated into Roman culture. However, this vow is empty to her. Her use of the word “author” is suggestive of her determinative influence in the plot, primarily through using her words to direct the actions of others.

“Now climbeth Tamora Olympus’ top,

Safe out of fortune’s shot, and sits aloft,

Secure of thunder’s crack or lightning flash […]

Upon her wit doth earthly honour wait,

And virtue stoops and trembles at her frown.”

In this speech Aaron admires Tamora’s rise to power as the empress, going on to compare her to the sun and crediting her intelligence in manipulating others. He is alone onstage, so his words suggest a genuine respect rather than a performance. He places Tamora at the level of the gods by elevating her above the “earthly” and referencing Olympus, the home of the gods in classical Greek mythology. This reflects Tamora’s adaption of another culture in order to rise within it. It also shows that Aaron, despite his apparent “barbarian” status as a moor, is versed in classical mythology, undermining The Paradigm of “Civilized” Rome against “Barbarian” Other. He implies Tamora’s amorality by asserting that she bends “honour” and “virtue” to her will.

“To mount aloft with thy imperial mistress,

And mount her pitch whom thou in triumph long

Hast prisoner held, fettered in amorous chains […]

I will be bright, and shine in pearl and gold

To wait upon this new-made empress.”

Having celebrated Tamora, Aaron now revels in his own sexual conquest over her. The word “triumph” alongside his image of her as a prisoner recalls her recently-dissolved status as a prisoner of war: He suggests that her love for him makes her equally as helpless within his power. The word “mount” is a pun, which he uses both as sexual innuendo and to describe his plan to climb socially and politically through her. His anticipation of waiting on Tamora subverts the image of her as his prisoner, reflecting their complex power dynamic—he is her inferior formally but characterizes her as his captive interpersonally.

“What you cannot as you would achieve,

You must perforce accomplish as you may.”

Aaron’s statement encourages Chiron and Demetrius to rape Lavinia because she is not available for marriage. He has an amoral attitude toward rape, seeing it as a means to an end rather than an act of wickedness or the first choice. He exhorts using any means necessary to circumvent obstacles to one’s goal, reflecting a popular Early Modern interpretation of the works of Machiavelli, particularly The Prince. The “Machiavellian” villain was an archetype of the Elizabethan stage; Shakespeare also channels this figure through Richard III, Iago in Othello, and Edmund in King Lear.

“SATURNINUS. …somewhat too early for new-married ladies.

BASSIANUS. Lavinia, how say you?

LAVINIA. I say no:

I have been broad awake two hours and more.”

Saturninus’s comment that Titus has ordered the bells to be rung “too early” is laden with innuendo: He suggests that he and his brother’s new wife will be exhausted from their night having sex. At Bassianus’s prompting, Lavinia disagrees, commenting that she rose early. This interaction offers a character study. Saturninus looks for reasons to criticize Titus, and in his jibe also sexualizes not only his wife but also Titus’s daughter, his brother’s wife. Lavinia’s negation of this illustrates her chaste nature: She is either innocent about Saturninus’s meaning, or pointedly rejects his teasing. Rhythmically, she completes Bassianus’s line, continuing in iambic pentameter: Her speech requires his explicit invitation and acts as an extension of his expression.

“My brother dead? I know thou dost but jest;

He and his lady are both at the lodge […]

‘Tis not an hour since I left them there.”

Saturninus’s disbelief that his brother can’t be dead reflects the incomprehensibility of death. He articulates the sense that it should be impossible for a person to be dead when they were alive just a moment ago. The fact that death still seems surprising to him reflects his life as a politician in the city rather than a soldier. His surprise illustrates the relative order he is used to, which is beginning to explode into a stream of violence as the narrative gathers pace in this act.

“In summer’s drought I’ll drop upon thee still;

In winter with warm tears I’ll melt the snow

And keep eternal springtime on thy face,

So thou refuse to drink my sweet son’s blood.”

This is an example of the play’s many poetic monologues, which juxtapose against its brutal violence. Many of these are from Titus, placing him in the tradition of the flawed protagonist by exploring his escalating inner torment. His attempt to bargain with nature itself shows his desperation to save his sons: He promises to weep enough to satiate the earth, so it won’t drink their blood. The fact that he weeps and addresses the ground suggests he already knows his cause is lost, and this bargaining is an expression of grief rather than a strategy. The imagery of the melting snow and the “eternal springtime” has connotations of survival and renewal, denoting the next generation of his sons. However, this is juxtaposed against the image of blood seeping into the earth, recalling their life alongside Titus on the battlefield, and foreshadowing their deaths.

1.  “Therefore I tell my sorrows to the stones,

Who, though they cannot answer my distress,

Yet in some sort they are better than the tribunes.”

The image of Titus telling his woes to the stones is laden with poetic symbolism, expressing his sense of isolation in an uncaring world. His comparison paints the tribunes, representatives of the Roman world, as impervious to his human emotion, showing that he feels alienated from Roman systems and people specifically. This is particularly tragic for Titus as his Roman identity is so central to his sense of self—he has dedicated his life to serving Rome, helped elect the emperor responsible, and sees himself as an embodiment of Roman values and law. The image of the silent stones also reflects the unfathomable nature of grief and loss—there is no answer.

“[T]orn from forth that pretty hollow cage

Where, like a sweet melodious bird, it sung

Sweet varied notes, enchanting every ear.”

Marcus mourns Lavinia’s lost tongue through poetic remembrance of her voice. He compares her to a lovely songbird, in contrast to Tamora and Aaron who are characterized as ravens. This paints her as innocent, beautiful, and fragile. However, by comparing her to an animal he dehumanizes her even in praise. He frames her lost speech as a pretty chattering sound that people enjoyed, rather than anything of meaning or importance. This contributes to the theme of The Complications of Female Expression. The image of the tongue as a bird trapped in a “hollow cage” emphasizes that Lavinia and her expression were confined by her social role.

“[T]hy brother, I,

Even like a stony image, cold and numb.

Ah, now no more will I control thy griefs.”

Marcus chooses words with connotations of death, shock, and hopelessness, such as “stony”, and “cold and numb”. The stone's imagery recalls Titus’s conversing with the stones and suggests the alienating experience of grief. It implies that he feels detached from other people, and is inexpressive, contrasting with his usual state as an eloquent commentator. His vow not to temper Titus’s grief anymore is significant: Throughout the play he has been a moderating influence, trying to soothe Titus and Lavinia. His change of approach reflects the escalating chaos of the world— even Marcus can see no possible response other than surrendering to extremes of emotion and action.

“Or get some little knife between thy teeth

And just against thy heart make thou a hole.”

In this scene, Titus has already physically inflicted loss on himself (his hand), and he now discusses further self-harm and encourages his daughter to engage in this action too. His urges express his horror at the lost honor their bodies now represent. Their lost hands ironically limit their ability to enact their grief violently on their own bodies as he wishes, emphasizing the debilitating nature of the violence they have experienced. This also reflects his self-destruction in the play, as he has harmed himself and his family with his behavior. The wish to make a hole in the heart offers a poetic metaphor for the pain of grief, encapsulating its unbearable nature, as physical pain seems preferable.

“I’ll to thy closet and go read with thee

Sad stories chanced in the times of old.”

Titus, Lavinia, and Young Lucius’s retirement to the “closet” suggests they wish to create a sense of safety and shelter. The domestic image of them reading together gives a rare glimpse of their personal relationship and genuine affection. This image is juxtaposed against the terrible reality of their wider world. Titus’s discussion of old, sad stories is used to foreshadow these characters’ tragic ends, implying that their experiences are analogous to these stories. Titus’s interest in old classical tales also suggests that he harks back wishfully to a lost ideal of Rome.

“I say, my lord, that if I were a man

Their mother’s bedchamber should not be safe

For these base bondmen to the yoke of Rome.”

Young Lucius’s declaration shows that he has inherited his family’s violent, vengeful qualities. His formal address of Titus shows his deference to him as the family head. His “I say” is in response to Titus, who has prompted him to speak; Marcus applauds him for these words in the line afterward: Shakespeare shows how they are nurturing him into a young Andronicus loyal to both the family and an ideal of Rome. Young Lucius’s image of the mother’s bedchamber creates a sense of personal, intimate vengeance. His reference to “base bondmen” dehumanizes Chiron and Demetrius, invoking The Paradigm of “Civilized” Rome against “Barbarian” Other.

“The old man hath found their guilt

And sends them weapons wrapped about with lines

That wound beyond their feeling to the quick.”

This moment is another example of the written word used in connection to objects, which impact each other’s meaning (See: Symbols & Motifs). Titus’s “gifts” to Chiron and Demetrius are weapons, implying a subtle threat. The paper they are wrapped in has writing on it, and the choice of text makes the meaning of the weapons clear. In this example the objects themselves are the primary message, and the accompanying text clarifies and contextualizes that message—this reflects Titus’s focus on action in the form of revenge.

“God forbid I should be so bold to press to heaven in my young days. Why, I am going with my pigeons to take up a matter of a brawl betwixt my uncle and one of the emperal’s men.”

The Clown’s statement that he’s too young to think of death ironically foreshadows his imminent death and lends a greater poignancy to the experience of this unnamed character. His reference to a “brawl” suggests broader disorder in Rome, adding to the sense that the empire is disintegrating and invoking Order Versus Chaos. The Clown’s mispronunciation of “emperor” and his use of prose rather than the blank verse of the primary characters all reflect his low social class.

“‘Tis him the common people love so much;

Myself hath oft heard them say,

When I have walked like a private man.”

Saturninus’s terrified response to news of the approaching Goth army exposes the weakness underneath his façade of power. This response contrasts dramatically with the autocratic tone of his preceding speech, in which he indignantly ordered Titus’s arrest for questioning his actions. Despite his proud assertions of his imperial supremacy, he capitulates immediately. Shakespeare shows that this character’s arrogance is an expression of underlying insecurity: He is paranoid that Lucius is more popular, and has even been walking around in disguise to find out what people think of him.

“Is the sun dimmed, that gnats do fly in it?

The eagle suffers little birds to sing,

And is not careful what they mean thereby.”

Tamora uses persuasive rhetoric to bolster Saturninus as she depends on him for her own position of power, reflecting The Complications of Female Expression. She uses the imperial imagery of the sun and the eagle to suggest his strength and power, specifically framing it in connection to Rome. Her rhetorical question about the gnats recalls the fly of 3.2: She suggests their enemies are powerless people in the face of a huge force, but this idea also applies to her and Saturninus. The image of the little birds contrasts with the powerful eagle and also recalls the characterization of Lavinia. Tamora plays into Saturninus’ pride to manipulate him, suggesting he’s so powerful that he doesn’t really have to pay attention to what is happening. This is laden with dramatic irony: Saturninus’s lack of awareness of what is really going on is his downfall.

“To gaze upon a ruined monastery

And as I earnestly did fix mine eye

Upon the waster building, suddenly

I heard a child cry underneath a wall.”

The “ruined monastery” is a symbol of a ruined civilization, but also of ruined values, due to its purpose as a religious building. Its desecration suggests nothing is sacred anymore, recalling the destruction of Lavinia’s chastity. The aural imagery of the crying child gives a human touch to the poetic image, invoking The Value of a Human and serving as a reminder that this empty building once sheltered life. Shakespeare creates pathos for the helpless child, sheltering in a ruin. This is then undermined as Lucius and the Goths quickly resolve to hang the baby, highlighting their capacity for cruelty and their dehumanization of Aaron’s child.

“An idiot holds his bauble for a god

And keeps the oath which by that god he swears.”

Aaron’s depiction of Lucius’s Roman religious practices as a “bauble” reflects Aaron’s own cynical irreligiosity. However, Aaron also recognizes that because Lucius imbues these things with meaning, they attain meaning—Lucius’s religious belief gives him, Aaron assumes, a moral conscience.

“Oft have I digged up dead men from their graves

And set them upright at their dear friends’ door […]

And on their skins, as on the bark of trees,

Have with my knife carved in Roman letters,

‘Let not your sorrow die though I am dead.’”

This is another example of Shakespeare’s exploration of the relationship between text and physical object. Here the physical object is a body, on which is written a reminder of sorrow. Aaron’s action mirrors Shakespeare’s use of the body as a communicator throughout the play: The physical injuries to the bodies, the dead bodies, and the body parts onstage are all physical embodiments of horror and grief. Aaron also claims a villainy here beyond his actual actions in the play. Aaron’s deliberate expression of himself as an outright villain reflects the role others place him in.

“Stop their mouths; let them not speak a word.”

This moment offers a form of poetic justice, as Chiron and Demetrius are silenced just as they silenced Lavinia. The image of them gagged as Lavinia holds a basin to catch their blood emphasizes the physical reckoning of Titus’s retribution as Lavinia’s bodily trauma is balanced through theirs: They literally pay in blood. This also serves a practical purpose, as Titus can deliver his poetic, cathartic speech without interruption, revealing his knowledge of their actions, and his terrible plan of punishment.