Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus may be Shakespeare's earliest tragedy. It depicts a fictional Roman general engaged in a cycle of revenge with his enemy, the Queen of the Goths.

Reputation

Titus Andronicus is perhaps Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy; some measure of its matter can be gleaned from a single stage-direction: "Enter the empress' sons with Lavinia, her hands cut off, and her tongue cut out, and ravished." (Act II, scene IV). The play is frequently dismissed for its violence, and some Shakespeare lovers consider it childish juvenilia, or believe that it is populist trash written only to make money.

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Since the late twentieth century, however, the play has been revived frequently on stage and has been revealed to some as a powerful and moving exploration of violence that pre-empts King Lear in its bleakness, to others as a forerunner of the Hollywood slasher movie. The play can speak to modern audiences, who are used to violence in film, in a way that it could not to Victorian audiences; but the modern intolerance for everyday cruelty makes moderns less responsive than previous generations, who attended public executions for entertainment. The character of Titus has been played by important actors such as Laurence Olivier, Brian Cox, Anthony Sher and Anthony Hopkins, and is increasingly regarded as one of the great Shakespearean roles.

Related Topics:
Twentieth century - King Lear - Film - Victorian - Laurence Olivier - Brian Cox - Anthony Sher - Anthony Hopkins

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It was the most popular play of Shakespeare's in his lifetime.

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