in Titus Andronicus — Shakespeare, William; Peele, George
Metadata
Play
Titus Andronicus
Author
Shakespeare, William; Peele, George
Year (catalogued)
1594
First performance
1594
Decade
1590s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Pembroke's Men (?)
Speech prefix(es)
Chiron. | Chi.
Words
375
Characters
1920
Typicality
0.30 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A12017
BritDrama no.
928
Cluster
Cluster 1 — Wives, widows & intimate counsel
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Was never Sythia half so barbarous. Demetrius, thou dost overween in all, And so in this, to bear me down with braves, 'Tis not the difference of a year or two Makes me less gracious, or thee more fortunate: I am as able and as fit as thou, To serve, and to deserve my Mistress grace, And that my sword upon thee shall approve, And plead my passion for Lavinia's love. Mean while sir, with the little skill I have, Full well shalt thou perceive how much I dare. For that I am prepared, and full resolved, Foul spoken Coward, that thunderest with thy tongue, And with thy weapon nothing darest perform. I care not I, knew she and all the world, I love Lavinia more than all the world. Aron, A thousand death's would I propose, To achieve her whom I love. I so the turn were served. Faith not me. Thy counsel Lad smells of no cowardice. And if she do, I would I were and Eunuch, Drag hence her husband to some secret hold, And make his dead trunk pillow to our lust. I warrant you maddame we will make that sure: Come Mistress now perforce we will enjoy, That nice preserved honesty of yours. What wouldst thou have me prove my self a bastard? Nay then I'll stop your mouth, bring thou her husband, This is the hold where Aron bid us hide him. Oh 'tis a verse in Horace I know it well, I read it in the Grammar long ago. A charitable wish, and full of love. And that would she for twenty thousand more. Thou hast undone our mother. Room will despise her for this foul escape. I blush to think upon this ignomy. Tell us old man how shall we be employed, Villains forbear we are the Empress sons. Write down thy mind bewray thy meaning so, And if thy stumps will let thee play the scribe. Go home, call for sweet water wash thy hands. Belike for joy the Emperor hath a son. It shall not live, Aron, I see thou wilt not trust the air with secrets. Show me a villain that hath done a rape, And I am sent to be revenged on him.
Plot summary
Plot — Titus Andronicus
The brothers Saturninus and Bassianus are rival candidates for the Roman emperorship. ‘Titus ===== PAGE 181 ===== 1592 Andronicus is recalled from the war against the Goths, to be a further candidate. He returns in triumph with the Goth Queen Tamora a captive, but many of his sons dead. He allows his surviving sons to kill Tamora’s eldest son, Alarbus, as a sacrifice. Refusing the crown, he offers his support to Saturninus, who is duly elected; Titus hands over the prisoners to him and agrees to his request to marry Lavinia. Lavinia, however, is betrothed to Bassianus, and Titus’ family intervene on her behalf. Titus kills his son Mutius in reprisal; his brothers bury him despite their father’s opposition. Saturninus marries Tamora _ instead. Though she wants vengeance on Titus and Rome, she decides to bide her time until her husband is more politically secure. The Andronici and the royal family go hunting. Tamora has an assignation in the woods with Aaron, but is discovered by Bassianus and Lavinia. Tamora’s sons, Chiron and Demetrius, kill Bassianus and throw his body into a pit. Aaron frames Titus’ sons Martius and Quintus for the murder, using a forged letter and hidden gold. Chiron and Demetrius rape Lavinia, and silence her by cutting off her hands and tongue. She is found in the woods by her uncle, Marcus. - Titus watches his sons taken to execution; Lucius is banished for attempting to rescue them; Marcus brings mutilated Lavinia to her father. Aaron offers . Titus ‘a bargain: the Emperor will spare Martius and Quintus if Titus cuts off his own hand; he does, but the sons’ severed heads are sent back in derision. Titus sends Lucius to raise an army among the Goths. Lavinia finds a way of telling her story: she points to the tale of Philomela in Ovid, then writes with a staff in the sand, guiding it with her stumps and ‘mouth. Tamora gives birth to a blackamoor son. The nurse brings it to Aaron with instructions to kill it, but he kills her instead, and plans to substitute a fair-skinned baby to prevent Saturninus’ suspicions. Titus madly sends his kinsmen to seek for the goddess of justice in Hades, then enlists their help in firing arrows to heaven bearing messages for the gods. The arrows land in the precincts of the court, and offend the Emperor. Titus also sends him a knife wrapped in a letter, but Saturninus has the bearer, a clown, hanged. Advancing on Rome, the Goths capture Aaron and his baby; he offers information about the crimes of…