Month: January 2015

Setting: On the edge of the forest

Characters: Demetrius, Chiron, Aaron

Events: They all talk about how much they like Lavinia and they all want to have sex with her but Aaron suggests that they should rape her in the forest.

Theme: Lust

Key Quote: ‘The woods are ruthless, dreadful, deaf and dull’.

Explanation: They suggests that the woods are dangerous and anything can happen.

1. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony within Titus Andronicus. He does this to build tension in the play to explore revenge. At the start of Tamora’s speech she suggests that ‘ I should be author to dishonor you’. Shakespeare uses a metaphor to compare Tamora to a writer because she is able to dictate what happens next. He does this to build up the tension.

2. Shakespeare deceives the audience and Titus to believing she wants to make peace with Titus. Tamora says that ‘But on my honor for good lord Titus’ innocence in all’. This shows the audience that she should take revenge but opts out of it because he is a honorable man. The word ‘But’ gives the impression that she has more than one options but chooses the better option.

3. Shakespeare then reveals to the audience that Tamora is actually plotting to kill Titus. Tamora whispers in Saturninus’ ear that ‘I’ll find a day to massacre them all.’ This shows the audience that she is going to kill them all but not yet as Titus is honored by everyone in Rome and if we kill him now there will be a revolution. This increases the tension in the play by there being a plot of murder behind Titus and his family’s back.

Setting:

Tomb of the Andronicus Family

Characters:

Titus, Marcus, Lucius, Quintus, Martius, Saturninus, Bassianus and Tamora.

Events: Titus has just killed his son and has said that Tamora should marry Saturninus instead of his daughter Lavinia.

Theme: Love

Key Quote: Traitor away! he shall not be buried in this room

Explanation: Titus has just killed his son and is saying he doesn’t deserve to be buried with my other sons who are more valiant than him.

Setting:

Tomb of the Andronicus Family

Characters:

Saturninus, Titus Andronicus, Lavinia, Bassianus,

Events: Titus Andronicus kills his son because his son stops Titus Andronicus from chasing after Lavinia and Bassianus because Titus agreed for Saturninus to marry Lavinia. Bassianus and Lavinia love each other.

Theme: Revenge, Love

Key Quote: My lord you past not here

Explanation: Titus’ son says that Titus must not go after Lavinia because her and Bassianus are in love and you can’t break that for more power.

Point: Shakespeare uses metaphors to show revenge in Titus Andronicus. This is shown when Titus says Tamora’s son will die.

Example: In Act 1 Scene 1 he says ‘ to this your son is mark’d, and die he must.

Explanation: This metaphor shows us that despite the fact that Tamora is pleading for her eldest son to spare his life. He believes that her son has killed so many of his children he probably has the right to kill her son.

Point:

Shakespeare presents Titus Andronicus as a man true to his word and acknowledges other people views and ideas.

Example:

‘Patience, Prince Saturninus’

Explanation:

This quote suggests to me that Titus Andronicus is handling the situation well despite the fact that this is an incredibly stressful situation due to the fact that you have the chance to become one of the most powerful men in the world at that time, he is taking it on the chin and declining the chance. Furthermore, not many people will turn down the chance to become emperor.

Lucius

give us the proudest prisoner of the Goths                                                                                                         give us the queen of the Goths                                                                                                                              that we may hew his limbs, and on a pile                                                                                                          that we should remove his limbs                                                                                                                       ad manes fratrum sacrifice his flesh                                                                                                                   and we should sacrifice his flesh                                                                                                                         before this earthy prison of their bones                                                                                                             before we take the bones                                                                                                                                  that so the shadows be not unappeased                                                                                                         the shadows are calling for it                                                                                                                             nor we disturb’d with prodigies on earth                                                                                                              we also call for it

Titus Andronicus

I give him you the noblest that survives                                                                                                                I give him to you                                                                                                                                                 the eldest son of this distressed queen                                                                                                                the eldest son of this distressed queen

Tamora

stay Roman brethren gracious conqueror                                                                                                         dear gracious conqueror                                                                                                                                     victorious Titus rue the tears I shed                                                                                                                     Titus have sorrow for my tears                                                                                                                              a mother’s tears in passion of her son                                                                                                                 I am in tears for my son                                                                                                                                       and if thy sons were ever dear to thee                                                                                                              and my sons are close to me                                                                                                                            sufficeth not that we brought to Rome                                                                                                                we were not brought to Rome to die                                                                                                                   to beautify thy triumphs and return                                                                                                                      we were brought to show you won                                                                                                                     captive to thee and to thy Roman yoke                                                                                                              captured by you and by the soldiers of Rome                                                                                                   but must my son be slaughter’d in the streets                                                                                                    but should my son die in the streets                                                                                                                  for valiant doings in their’s country’s cause                                                                                                         for doing courageous things for your country                                                                                                        o if to fight for king and commonweal                                                                                                                  do you fight for king or for the people                                                                                                                  were piety in thine it is in these                                                                                                                           were you religious in your choice                                                                                                                         Andronicus stain not thy tomb with blood                                                                                                            don’t stain the tomb with blood                                                                                                                            wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods?                                                                                                         will you draw near the nature of the gods                                                                                                            draw near them then in being merciful                                                                                                                will you show me some mercy                                                                                                                          sweet mercy is a nobility’s true badge                                                                                                              noble people like you have mercy                                                                                                                      thrice noble Titus spare my first – born son                                                                                                        please noble Titus spare my eldest son.

Titus Andronicus

patient yourself, madam, and pardon me                                                                                                           calm down madam and sorry                                                                                                                              these are their brethren whom you Goths beheld                                                                                               these are our brothers who you killed                                                                                                                   alive and dead and for their brethren slain                                                                                                            alive or dead and for those who you killed                                                                                                           religiously they ask a sacrifice                                                                                                                               our religion asks for sacrifices                                                                                                                               to this your son is mark’d and die he must                                                                                                             your son will die as a offering to the gods                                                                                                             to appease their groaning shadows that are gone                                                                                                 to make the dead happy

Sir, I am terribly sorry but I was not able to complete the paragraph due to the fact that I have no understanding of it. Please can I speak to you in form about maybe doing it during the 10 – 15 silent reading at the start of the lesson.

Albion

Titus Andronicus

Setting:

Rome, Italy outside the tomb

Characters:

Captain                                                                                                                                                                   Titus Andronicus                                                                                                                                                   Lucius                                                                                                                                                                   Tamora                                                                                                                                                                 Chiron                                                                                                                                                               Demetrius

Events:

Titus Andronicus returns from the battle against the Goths with 2 prisoners the queen Tamora and her son Alarbus. He is standing outside a tomb where he will place yet another son. Lucius asks to burn Tamora’s son as a tribute/ritual to the Gods. This includes cutting limb by limb off and then the skin and then burn the rest of it. Tamora’s then tries to persuade Titus to change his mind about it to say you have been in this position many times before so don’t break my heart as well. Titus ignores her outcry and goes ahead with it. In the end he places the coffin with his son in the tomb.

Themes:

I think the theme of revenge is the main theme throughout this part.

Quotations:

Titus, unkind and careless of thine own, why suffer’st thou thy sons, unburied yet, to hover on the dreadful shore of Styx?

Explanation:

This quote suggests to me that Shakespeare is asking Titus Andronicus how many more sons will you have to lose in battle. However, he is getting older and therefore is not able to make any more sons so he might eventually end up with no sons. This language feature is a rhetorical question and is designed to put a different thought into our heads as the reader.

Titus Andronicus

Setting:

Rome, before the Capitol

Characters:

Saturninus, son of dead emperor, older.     Bassianus, son of dead emperor, younger.                                                           Marcus Andronicus, brother of Titus Andronicus.

Events: 

Bassianus and Saturninus, both son of the emperor that died, are bickering over who should become the new emperor. Bassianus says that because he is older by rights he should be the new emperor. Bassianus suggests that he is a better leader and can lead Rome to better places than maybe Saturninus. However, Marcus Andronicus comes out and says that the final decision is that Titus Andronicus will become the new emperor because he is a noble and brave warrior and will make Rome a better place.

Themes:

The theme is mainly competitiveness as the sons of the emperor are trying to earn their right to the throne.

Quotation:

Marcus Andronicus, so I do ally.                 How fair the tribune speaks to calm my thoughts.

Explanation:

I have picked these quotes because Saturninus and Bassianus shows their almost recognition to the decision made. Inspite of the fact that the person picked to be future emperor not being in Rome they still accept the decision and with no retaliation offer their true support to Titus Andronicus.