“Titus Andronicus” is a play of revenge and heightening violence, which makes a definitive villain difficult to ascertain. The most obvious and most dubious of the characters is Aaron the Moor; however, Aaron is not the most disturbing or violent villain in the play. The title character commits a heinous crime when he feeds Tamora's sons to her in the final scene of the play. The act is so vile and primal, it can be called the most grand act of villainy in the play, making Titus the ultimate villain. It is clear that the loss of his family causes Titus to lash out. Up until the point of discovering the truth of what happened to Lavinia, Titus accepts the fate of his children. This final realization drives Titus to the need for vengeance. In Act V Scene II lines 82-210, the motivations and rage within Titus become obvious and create an understanding between Titus and the audience. In lines 82-168, the words Titus chooses to use helps to fulfill his plans of getting back at Tamora while also building a sympathetic relationship with the audience. Tamora, believing Titus to have gone mad, arrives at his door disguised as Revenge with her sons as Murder and Rape. Titus could have dismissed them, explaining that he was hardly mad at all; instead, he decides to play along with her scheme. He …show more content…
welcomes them with open arms and briefly comments on their likeness to the Empress and her sons (lines 85-90). By recognizing Tamora but dismissing the possibility that it could be her, Titus gains her trust: his choice of phrasing leads the Empress to believe that she has been successful in deceiving Titus. The ability to persuade someone of one's own madness makes Titus a cunning and manipulative villain: one who will stop at nothing to get the revenge he deserves. Titus also uses his words to indirectly accuse Chiron and Demetrius to their faces. While disguised as Rape and Murder, the pair asks Titus who he would want revenge on, he replies “when thou findest a man that's like thyself,/ Good Murder, stab him; he's a murderer/ Go thou with him, [Rape], and when it is thy hap/ To find another that is like to thee/ Good Rapine, stab him; he is a ravisher” (lines 100-105). Titus is suppressing his rage but is able, because of the poorly disguised princes, to vent some of it against them. In this passage, he also expresses his motivations for his further actions: the rape and mutilation of his daughter. By choosing to use the word 'ravish' directly at the one who ravished Lavinia, Titus reminds the reader once again of the atrocities done against his loved ones. The audience is then able to sympathize with his rage and condone his further actions. Once again reiterating his supposed madness, Titus involves his brother in his scheme, choosing to use the word “sad” to refer to himself in his pathetic broken state (lines 124-133).
This continuing trope allows Titus to further garner report with Tamora and her sons while also letting the audience root for him. The audience is aware of of the feigning game and because of the on-going relationship that Titus has built with his previous word choices, the audience will find deep satisfaction in watching Tamora fail to recognize the ruse. She is so convinced, in fact, of her control over the disgraced general, she is confident enough to leave her sons alone in his care (lines
140-144). In the next few lines, Titus uses words that command respect. He first cuts off Chiron in mid-sentence with a gruff “tut” (line 153). The use of this grunted word is dismissive and cold. If the audience had any doubts about the prestige of Titus, they too are dismissed in this moment. This instance also gives Chiron and Demetrius the idea that perhaps they were mistaken to have believed that Titus was a pathetic fool. Taking back his control, Titus then begins commanding around Publius, Caius and Valentine. He uses their names and concise words to re-establish his rank (lines 160-164). The curt words are those of someone who knows they need not impress others with fanciful poetry, but who has already made a name for himself. In this way, the audience again gets a peek into how powerful Titus is and just how much he can accomplish towards his goal of revenge. The curt nature of these lines also signifies rage; now that Tamora has left and Titus has regained his station, he is able to let go of the intense anger that had until this point been boiling just below the surface. Blinded by rage, Titus draws only basic words that have force behind them. Words such as 'bind' and 'stop'
Because Shakespeare included a wide range of conflict and overlapping belief systems, assertions tend to become, as Moschovakis puts it, “curiously inconsistent” and “overshadowed” (Moschovakis 462). What can be claimed as transparent in Titus Andronicus, and what I think is appealing to the masses, is that Shakespeare drew upon the major controversial motifs in human history and religion, and he included the evils of hypocrisy which allow for realistic interest regardless of what your religious or political stance is. Moreover, I would argue that Shakespeare exposes a more obvious anachronistic element that can serve in expanding Moschovakis’ arguments. Titus Andronicus demonstrates the time honored obsession over first born sons, and because the play includes a first born son in each family that is introduced, I think the claim deserves consideration. The pedestal and heir ship afforded to a first born male is a common thread which all societies, religious, pagan, or simply pious have in
One of the distinguishing factors in portraying Titus centers in its origin: "Titus Andronicus [...] must be considered as an experimental play" (Bowers 118). Being Shakespeare's first attempt at tragedy, it obviously has room for error. Yet, as some critics and scholars would say, I believe there is a similar element found in all of Shakespeare's works, no matter when they were written: "Shakespeare constantly reminds us that the character's predicament and humanity is very like our own" (Barton 184). No matter what the plot is, or where he chose to set the story, Shakespeare captures a fundamental element of humanity. Within Titus Andronicus, it is undoubtedly humanity's search for revenge: "Titus Andronicus is a play of social piety, outrage, suffering, and revenge" (Barber 133). The first three elements that Barber attributes to the work are consequential to the fourth; it is the revenge and spite of Titus, Tamora, and Aaron that fuel the other three elements.
The Oresteia trilogy follows a series of murders among the family of Orestes. In the first play, Agamemnon, the blood of Orestes’ father, Agamemnon, and his father’s war prize, Casandra, spills at the hands of Orestes’ mother, Clytamnestra. Following suit, Orestes avenges his father’s cold-blooded murder in the second play, The Libation Bearer, by killing his mother and her lover, Aegisthus. The acts of revenge by Orestes come to a climax in the third and final play of the trilogy, The Eumenides. With a monumental trial between Orestes and the Furies, a question of justification arises. Did Orestes have a justified reason to commit matricide? Or did his actions reveal a dark, unjustified moment of kin murder? Orestes’ murder of his mother, Clytamnestra, is justified because of the gods’ interference throughout the Oresteia trilogy.
Shakespeare is known for his eloquent word choice and illusive images, and Titus Andronicus is no exception to that. Titus Andronicus being focused around blood, rape and murder, has to be conveyed in a very specific way to promote the concise narrative Shakespeare imagined. More specifically as shown in act 2 scene 1, Shakespeare makes sure the reader knows the background behind Tamora and Aarons complex relationship. In this monologue Aaron addresses Tamora and his love for her using images, cultural references, and poetic devices to further support his desires. Through specific descriptions and illusive images, Shakespeare sets forth scene 2 by alluding to the reader Aarons true intentions to take advantage of Tamora and her power to seek vengeance on Rome.
Shakespeare's villains seem to fall into one of two categories: those who are villainous of heart (inherently and genuinely evil or Machiavellian) and those who are circumstantially turned antagonists. Richard III's carefully plotted plans to usurp the throne contrast heavily against Aaron's (of Titus Andronicus) rambling which contrasts with Aaron's lack of action. The motivations of these two characters are different however. Richard seizes the opportunity to take over the throne by Machiavellian means when presented with the opportunity. Aaron represents the evil presumed of a "godless moor," his character being a symbol as much as his skin colour particularly to an audience familiar with the conquests.
Aeschylus’ tragic trilogy, the only play to survive from Ancient Greece, repeatedly calls our attention upon a central concept of justice: justice as revenge. This is a relatively simple concept, with a powerful emotional appeal, linking vengeance to the family and their feelings for each other and for their collective honor. However, one must look past this superficial theme in order to fully appreciate and understand the depth and beauty of Aeschylus’ work, and regard it as a philosophical investigation into the concepts of justice rather than a great artistic fiction or a poetic exploration. The former approach is unfortunate because the Oresteia is not a rational argument. It is, on the other hand, an artistic exploration of abstract and theoretical issues. What matters in this case is the complexity of the feeling that emerges from the characters, the imagery, the actions, and the ideas in the story. In other words, the writer is dealing with a case of how human bei...
The play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare showcases many characters and events that go through many significant changes. One particular character that went through unique changes was Julius Caesar. The 16th century work is a lengthy tragedy about the antagonists Brutus and Cassius fighting with the protagonists Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus over the murder of Julius Caesar. Although the play’s main pushing conflict was the murder of Julius Caesar, he is considered a secondary character, but a protagonist. Throughout the theatrical work Julius Caesar’s actions, alliances, character developments, and internal and external conflicts display his diverse changes.
...f his honor. When Titus allows Aaron to cut off his hand, he is letting Aaron take away his honor. By the end of the play, Titus has nothing to show of the honor he once killed for.
...haracters to compliment Shakespeare’s work. With the opening she captures the aspect of war without using the original opening. Instead she uses a child and modernizes it. In ACT III SCENE I. Rome. A Street, she examines every word and portrays the art of revenge, loss and justice. She digs into the bible and relates them to Titus and his morals and actions. Taymor made many interesting choices when directing Titus, many staying true to the book, and character analysis bringing Titus Andronicus to a visual art.
The main character in the play is Titus Andronicus while the antagonists are Tamora, Aaron and Saturninus. Titus is a roman hero because he has aided in defeating the Goths. On the other hand, he has lost his own sons through conflicts. In the play, he has a strong urge of revenge. Saturninus, late emperor of Rome’s son, does not obey the authority. Bassiunus is Lavinnia’s lover. Tamora is the Goth’s queen with a strong urge to revenge because her son, Alarbus, was executed. Aaron is a moor who has been given evil personification. Marcus, Titus’s brother, always defends the rights of the people. Titus’s sons include: Lucius, Quintus, Martius and Murtius. Publius is Marcus Andronicus son. Sons of Tamora are Alarbus, Larbus, Demetrious and Chiron. Lavinnia is a vey innocent girl who suffers from unpleasant offenses.
middle of paper ... ..., suggests that Shakespeare’s exploration of the theme of love is to bring us closer to the nature of the reconciliation harmony which it embodies. This is because everyone is peacefully engaging with each other and enjoying the play, since the conflict has been resolved. Not only this, but different social classes emerge together. This is paralleled with, the relationship between Titaina and Oberon. Shakespeare explores the theme of love by the tensions built up to create comic resolutions, therefore helping to diffuse possibly unpleasant impact of themes.
Shakespeare’s complex play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar contains several tragic heroes; a tragic hero holds high political or social esteem yet possesses an obvious character flaw. This discernible hubris undoubtedly causes the character’s demise or a severe forfeiture, which forces the character to undergo an unfeigned moment of enlightenment and shear reconciliation. Brutus, one of these tragic heroes, is a devout friend of the great Julius Caesar, that is, until he makes many execrable decisions he will soon regret; he becomes involved in a plot to kill the omniscient ruler of Rome during 44 B.C. After committing the crime, Mark Antony, an avid, passionate follower of Caesar, is left alive under Brutus’s orders to take his revenge on the villains who killed his beloved Caesar. After Antony turns a rioting Rome on him and wages war against him and the conspirators, Brutus falls by his own hand, turning the very sword he slaughtered Caesar with against himself. Brutus is unquestionably the tragic hero in this play because he has an innumerable amount of character flaws, he falls because of these flaws, and then comes to grips with them as he bleeds on the planes of Philippi.
Throughout this play, readers see what the motives of Cassius, Brutus, and Antony drive each of them to do, and how this affects their outcomes. Though these motives did not lead to a tragic downfall for each of these characters, motives are often taken too far. They prove to be so strong that they blind characters from making educated decisions and having a sense of rationality. The many deaths in this play all started out with one person being motivated to do something, and one things leads to another. Motivation fueled by loyalty can be just as dangerous as motivation fueled by hatred. The strength of that motivation is what can really make it dangerous, and cause lives to be lost.
In the plays female sexuality is not expressed variously through courtship, pregnancy, childbearing, and remarriage, as it is in the period. Instead it is narrowly defined and contained by the conventions of Petrarchan love and cuckoldry. The first idealizes women as a catalyst to male virtue, insisting on their absolute purity. The second fears and mistrusts them for their (usually fantasized) infidelity, an infidelity that requires their actual or temporary elimination from the world of men, which then re-forms [sic] itself around the certainty of men’s shared victimization (Neely 127).
The play, Othello is one of the most famous tragedies composed by William Shakespeare during the Renaissance period. It powerfully portrays a world where the acts of evil ultimately vanquishes fidelity, nobility and integrity. The central themes jealousy and manipulation embodies the foretold tragedies and the downfall tragedies of the characters due to one’s insecurities. Through the use of literary techniques and figurative language, Shakespeare has effectively explored the themes of jealousy and manipulation.