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)
Lauinia. | Laui. | Lauinea. | Lauinia,
Words
387
Characters
2015
Typicality
0.22 (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
Not I my Lord, sith true Nobility, Warrants these words in Princely courtesy. And being intercepted in your sport, Great reason that my Noble Lord be rated For sauciness, I pray you let us hence, And let her joy her Raven culloured love, This valie fit S the purpose passing well. I come Semeranis, nay barbarous Tamora, For no name fits thy nature but thy own. O Tamora, thou bearest a woman's face. Sweet Lords entreat her hear me but a word. When did the Tigers young ones teach the dam, O do not learn her wrath: she taught it thee, The Milk thou suckest from her did turn to Marble, Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny, Yet every Mother breeds not sons a Like, Do thou entreat her show a woman's pity. 'Tis true the Raven does not hatch a Lark, Yet have I hard, O could I find it now, The Lion moved with pity did endure, To have his Princely paws parde all away: Some say that Ravens foster forlorn children, The while their own birds famish in their nests: O be to me though thy hard heart say no, Nothing so kind but something pitti ull. O Tamora be called a Gentle Queen, And with thine own hands kill me in this place, For 'tis not life that I have begged so long, Poor I was slain when Bascianus died. 'Tis present death I beg, and one thing more, That womanhood denies my tonge to tell, O keep me from there worse than killing lust, And tumble me into some loathsome pit, Where never men eye may behold my body, Do this and be a charitable murderer. No grace, no womanhood, ah beastly creature, The blot and enemy to our general name, Confusion fallen I say no: I have been broad awake, two hours & more, Under your patience gentle Empress, 'Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning, And to be doubted that your More and you, Are singled forth to try thy experimens: Jove Shield your husband from his hounds to day, 'Tis pity they should take him for a Stag. O let me teach thee for my Father's sake, That gave thee life when well he might have slain thee, Be not obdurate, open thy deaf years.
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…