[.ca] Titus andronicus (ISBN 2080700618)

From Amazon.co.uk:
Shakespeare's most violent and gory play, Titus Andronicus was written in 1592, and represents the dramatist's first foray into the popular genre of revenge tragedy (many editors argue with at least one other collaborator). The result was spectacular, including scenes of murder, human sacrifice, rape, bodily mutilation and cannibalism. Set in late-imperial Rome, the action begins with the Roman general Titus Andronicus and his triumphant return from wars with the Goths. Leading Queen Tamora and her sons as prisoners, Titus stumbles into a power struggle between Saturninus and his brother Bassianus. Titus fatally backs Saturninus, who rapidly turns on the old general and marries Tamora. The implications for the Andronicus family are disastrous. More of Titus' sons are killed, his daughter Lavinia is brutally raped by Tamora's sons, and as Titus begins his descent into madness and despair he even has his own hand cut off in an act of awful trickery. As Titus plots his bloody revenge, he reflects that "Rome is but a wilderness of tigers". The ending is one of the most gruesome conclusions to any dramatic tragedy, and leaves Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs looking quite restrained. Although the play has put audiences off for centuries due to its apparently gratuitous violence, more recently critics have discerned something more to it than pure shock, but that might say more about us than the Elizabethans. .--Jerry Brotton

What were you thinking, William Shakespeare?:
On a first reading of this macabre play all hints of Shakespeare's poetic genius are overwhelmed by rape, mutilation, and murder. This cannot be Shakespeare. And yet, despite fervent efforts by many scholars to prove otherwise, the evidence supports Shakespeare as author. Although popular in the Elizabethan period, later generations dismissed Titus Andronicus as a practice play, a huge joke, a gristly theatrical feast, and a quease-inducing play. Contrastingly, the commentary in my Oxford Shakespeare edition argues that the revenge motif was a suitable topic for Shakespeare. The Elizabethan audience was acclimated to violence, including bear baiting as a sport, weekly public hangings, and an occasional witch execution. Revenge drama, like The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd, was immensely popular. Shakespeare knew his audience. Did the young Shakespeare intend this play to be serious drama, or was it a brutal parody of Elizabethan revenge drama? There is little agreement among scholars. In a re-reading of Titus Andronicus, I attempted to see beyond the gore and carnage for indications of Shakespeare's poetic style. Tamora's poetic plea - Sweet mercy is nobility's badge - offers advice that is ignored by all, including Tamora herself. The lengthy speech by Marcus upon encountering the mutilated Lavinia is poetic, although one questions the propriety of a dramatic speech while Lavinia is bleeding profusely. Also, Aaron's proud confession to Lucius is chilling drama. Few characters seem fully developed. The close relatives of Titus Andronicus seem one-dimensional. Marcus Andronicus is the loyal brother, Lucius is the noble son, and Lavinia is the innocent daughter. Likewise, Tamora, the captured queen of the Goths, and her two sons, Chiron and Demetrius, seem almost caricatures of evil. They joyously plot rape and murder. The revengeful Titus Andronicus offers some complexity, possibly foreshadowing Shakespeare's later creations like King Lear, Macbeth, and Othello. We see him as a heroic chieftain that is politically inept, a stoic parent that accepts the sacrifice of his many sons in battle, a distraught and nearly insane victim, and a cunning practitioner of revenge. I was puzzled most by character of Aaron the Moor. Is he merely a villain? There is a spark of humanity in his concern for his young infant, but it sputters out and we see only implacable evil: But I have done a thousand dreadful things as willingly as one would kill a fly, and nothing grieves me heartily indeed, but that I cannot do ten thousand more. Not surprisingly, Titus Andronicus is seldom performed. The Royal Shakespeare Company's recent production is their first since 1981. Interestingly, Titus is played David Bradley, an actor known to millions as the irascible caretaker Filch in the Harry Potter movies. I highly recommend the Oxford Shakespeare edition. I give this edition four stars, largely for the extensive commentary and editing by Eugene M. Waith.

One of Shakespeare's best but always misunderstood plays:
Titus Andronicus is one of Shakespeare's finest plays. However, most people don't understand what it's really about. It is about love and how hate is born of love and how one cannot hate without the depth of love. But it is also a comedy, in a way. The things that happen are so horrible that the only thing you can do is laugh. But this is not the case dearing the scene were one of the characters, Lavinia Andronicus, is raped by Demetrius and Chiron the youngest sons of the Queen of the Goths. In that scene the last thing you can do is laugh. It is so powerful that you just have to cry and shrink into a ball. This is Shakespeare's most powerful play but people over look it because they don't understand it. But none the less this play is a masterpeice and my favorite play ever.

Excellent:
Since this was Shakespeare's first tragedy - it's understandable how he could write something so utterly out of character for him. Everyone must find their own feet to stand on. I find that the college students I teach respond well to this particular piece. The violence, gore and blood keep our up-to-date students involved. They also seem to respond well to Aaron. They are amazed at the evilness and the twisted plot. I will continue to teach this in my classroom and think this version is just fine for the beginning Shakespeare student.

Bloody, senseless drama!:
Quentin Tarantino must surely have got his inspiration for his senseless and bloody scenes from this Shakespearean play. For those lovers of blood and gore, you will be delighted in this play. Shakespeare starts with the usual beheadings, but then in a stroke of mad 'genius' decides to up the ante and add mutilations, rape, cannibalism, betrayal, setups, murder and a host of other villainous acts to shock the audience. The only ones who will be disappointed are those who love eye gouging, but rest assured, Shakespeare has pretty much covered everything else. The racism in the play is sickening. At every opportunity, Aaron the moor is self deprecating, equating his blackness with evil and calling himself slave, thick-lipped etc. I am hardly a fan of political correctness, but why the excessive name calling. It seems Shakespeare had this racist streak in him, which may have been a product of his times. Check out Othello and The Merchant of Venice for more evidence of this. The 'hero' in the play, Titus Andronicus was someone I had much difficulty sympathizing with, probably because of the improbability of losing more than 20 sons to a war, and his lack of mercy at the beginning of the play which started everything else. His near lapse into insanity is reminiscent of King Lear and both plays share the same theme of ingratitude: in Lear it is the ingratitude of his daughters while here it is the ingratitude of the state. I would not recommend this book to those who want to read some good Shakespearean drama. Try King Lear instead.

!!! LOVE IT !!!:
OH MY GOSH!!! "Titus Andronicus" is one of the best plays ever written, especially when played for the comedy. DEFFINATELY READ THIS BOOK!!! The whole play basically revolves around the action of the evil Tamora marrying another evil guy. Tamora gets really angry, and lets her two sons, Chiron and Demitrius, rape Titus's daughter, Lavinia. Ever hear that old Greek legend about how two guys raped a girl, and cut off her tounge so she could never tell the tale? In that version, the girl is, fortunately, able to miraculously weave her story into a coat and send it off for help. But Lavinia in "Titus Andronicus" is not quite so lucky. Chiron and Demitrius cut off her tounge AND her hands (I can tell THEY read there nighttime fairytales). After this everyone runs around like madmen and there are a few casualties. Finally Lavinia is able to communicate to her father and remaining brothers using a book, etc. Eventually Tamora pretends to be a spirt-type-thing called 'Revenge' and her sons pretend to be 'Murder' and 'Rape'. But Titus Andronicus is even smarter. He pretends that he beleives there stupid bluff, and eventually captures Chrion and Demitrius after their mother leaves. Then, to make a long story short, Titus 'plays the cook' and cuts off the guys' heads and has his daughter use her stubs to gather their blood. Then he goes and cooks their guts into a pie. That night at dinner, he serves the pastry to Tamora, who thinks she has won. After the people have eaten about half of the meal, Titus gets up and basically says, 'Look, Lady, you just ate your own sons, you idiot.' Then there is a huge blood bath and few are spared. The guy who IS spared becomes king, etc. Hehehe. Great, huh? Seriously, though, I would deffinately recommend this edition of the book because it has REALLLLLLLLLYYYYYYY good footnotes. No joke. Hope you will take some time to read this cool book!!! :-D