Titus Andronicus plot summary

Titus returns from war with the Goths. He brings with him Tamora, their queen and her serving man Aaron, a moor. Titus is elected to the throne of Rome but instead he gives it to Saturninus, the emperor's first son. Saturninus chooses Titus's daughter, Lavinia, as his bride. She is engaged to Saturninus's brother Bassianus so Saturninus takes Tamora as his bride instead. Meanwhile Laviana and Bassianus flee with the help of Titus's sons Lucius, Martius, Quintus, and Mutius. Titus kills Mutius when he tries to aid Lavinia.
Tamora's sons Chiron and Demetrius both love Lavinia. Aaron, who is excited that Tamora will be queen, encourages them to rape her the next day, when a big hunt has been planned. The next day, Aaron leaves the hunting party. He buries a bad of gold under a tree and is then seduced by Tamora. Aaron asks her to deliver a letter to Saturninus. Bassianus and Lavinia see Tamora and Aaron. Chiron and Demetrius then kill Bassianus, in honor of their mother. Tamora tries to kill Lavinia but her sons tell her they want to rape Lavinia. She agrees to let them. Aaron leads Titus's sons Martius and Quintus wherein Bassianus's dead body lies. He pushes them in so that they are now framed. Aaron leads Saturninus to the pit shows him the body and the gold. The sons wait to be executed.
Marcus, the tribune of Rome, finds Lavinia, whose hands and tongue have been cut out. He brings her to Titus.
Aaron then tells Titus that if he cuts off his own hands his sons will be freed. Titus sends his sons away so that they will not restrain him. He then cuts off his own hand. Aaron then tells him that it was a trick and shows him the severed heads of his sons. Titus sends his sons Lucius to raise an army of Goths.
Lavinia then finds a way to tell Titus of her rape. She gestures toward the story of the rape of Philomedea in Odiv's Metamorhposes. She makes Chriron and Demetrius's names in the sand.
Aaron finds out that he has a son with Tamora. The nurse who brings his child to him, wants Aaron to kill his son but he kills her instead. Titus convinces Marcus, Lucius and his brothers to shoot arrows with pleas for justice into Saturninus's court. Saturninus then hears that Lucius has raised an army of Goths.
Aaron and his child are discovered by the Goths in their attempt to leave. His child's life is exchanged for Aaron's revealing all that has taken place. Aaron is gleeful about the trechary that has taken place. They decide not to kill Aaron because it would be too good of a fate for him.
Tamora and her sons, disquised as Rape, Revenge and Murder, meet with Titus. She invites him to a banquet at her house. He accepts but only if she leaves her two sons behind. Titus then kills the sons and brings them to the banquet baked in a pie.
At the banquet Titus kills his own daughter because he believes she should not outlive the shame of her rape. Titus tells Tamora that she has eaten a pie consisting of her sons and then kills her. Saturninus then kills Titus. Lucius then kills Saturninus. Lucius is made emperor, and Aaron is buried chest deep and left to starve to death.
Marilyn

Titus Andronicus history

My play that I was assigned was Titus Andronicus, probably one of the bloodiest plays ever written. The most popular of his plays during life, Titus kept it's popularity until the seventeenth century when Edward Ravenscroft changed the minds of generations to come. He found the play uninspired and many were shocked to think that their beloved Shakespeare could produce a work so reviled.
Whether or not Titus Andronicus is good is really the opinion of the reader, or the viewer. It has been said that good stage productions of Titus can change the mind of even the most adament Titus hater. Personally I've never seen it performed although I would recommend the movie for anyone with free time on a Saturday night.
Revenge Tragedy was the genre of the time. This is also the subject of my presentation. Thomas Kyd's "The Spanish Tragedy" and Marlowe's "The Jew of Malta" set the standard for gory vengeance. In Harold Bloom's opinion Titus was a comedy, a parody of the genre of the time. Its over-the-top violence was a mockery of Kyd's and Marlowe's bloody masterpieces. In Bloom's opinion the play is ridiculous if you read it as anything other than a comedy.
Aaron, the central architect in the violence in the play is a moor (black.) This would be an easy wource of contempt for prejudice Elizabethean audiences. But before Shakespeare is written off as a flaming racist one has to remember that Othello was also black. Aaron's character is particularly interesting because without him none of the play's action would occur. He masterminds every violent act and towards the end of the play admits that he reveled in ruining the lives of the other characters and would do it again if he had the chance.
Overall I think it is hard to say that any of Shakespeare's works are bad. Personally I would not even attempt to list them from best to worst. However, I would not say that this is Shakespeare's best. It is estimated to be one of the first plays he wrote and is deffinitly one of his first tragedies. For a first attempt at tragedy no one could have done it better.
Marilyn

Shakespeare is inappropriate?

I always thought Shakespeare would be one of the few literary works I felt would be safe from the hands of angry parents and offended Christians. I thought wrong. In 1996, a high school in Merrimack New Hampshire banned Twelfth Night because......it encourages alternative lifestyles. What? Apparently a woman disguising herself as a man is just this and is therefore worthy of cencorship. In 1999 Winndsor Forest High School required student to obtain signed permission slips to read Hamlet, MacBeth, and King Lear. This was because the laugnage was too "adult." There was also sex and violence. I find it ironic that some of the most beautiful works in the english language are too "mature" to be taught to high school age students.
Marilyn

Who's the Man?

Because so little is known about Shakespeare there is a serious debate surrounding who he really is.
There are numerous theories as to who the real Shakespeare is. Here are a few of them.
1. Shakespeare is Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe staged his own death to avoid further trouble with the Privy Council, a council created by the queen. Marlowe had had trouble with the council and was accused of heresy. Perhaps assuming a new identity would avoid further trouble.
2. Shakespeare is Sir Francis Bacon, a lawyer, philosopher, and scholar.
3. Shakespeare is Edward de Vere, another writer of the time
4. Shakespeare is William Stanely, the sixth earl of Derby. He was cultured and well traveled. More links on the subject:
http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/facts/facts.htm
http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com/guide.htm#Introduction

More notes on Hamlet and the Tempest

Hamlet
Hamlet's will forget all except avenging his father, but the play is about his procrastination. He gets distracted, that is the plot of the play.
It is a gnostic fable, a character is first given a task and then gets distracted. An important moment is when the character is reminded of his or her task.

The Tempest
The magician kidnaps people and creates the illusion of a storm so he can seperate people into groups.
Nine is an important number for women in mythology.
Miranda needs imgination. She remembers things through her nervous system and her brain.

Notes on Hamlet and The Tempest

Hamlet
Hamlet is a prime example of a play with a tragic recognition, a character's psychological recognition of their flaws as a human being. In Act 1 Scene 1, the ghost of his father tells Hamlet to avenge his death, at the hands of his brother, Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. This is a small recognition that, something is rotten in Denmark.
Hamlet is a primary example of a melancholoy character, whose humor is black bile.
There are also numerous puns within this play. Example "I am too much in the sun." Hamlet has become a son to another person and this makes him "in the sun" too much.
Like most melancholy characters Hamlet is obsessed with the idea of acting. Look for the words, act, play, put on ,perform, and seem.
Hamlet's first soliloquoy has three great recognitions:
1. Suffering is universal
2. Life is fleeting
3.Corruption of the flesh
As an interesting note Dr. Sexson, and many others, see Polonius as on of the biggest asses in all of Shakespeare. However Shakespeare frequently puts wise words in the mouths of asses because it is true that often stupid people say wise things.
Memory and destiny are the most important things in Shakespeare. Hamlet mentions them to Horatio before the fatal final battle.

The Tempest
Prospero is a great example of the fantastical duke of dark corners.
The storm in the play isn't real. It is the work of Prospero, a micromanager, who sees things through in infinite detail.

Marilyn

Bardolatry

Interesting facts about Shakespeare..... I like the one about the beast with two backs.
http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/facts/facts.htm