Titus Andronicus �Act I
Close Reading
Act I
Warm Up: Properly Order Titus’ Foibles in�Act I
Titus Andronicus
Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds!
Lo, as the bark, that hath discharged her fraught,
Returns with precious jading to the bay
From whence at first she weigh'd her anchorage,
Cometh Andronicus, bound with laurel boughs,
To re-salute his country with his tears,
Tears of true joy for his return to Rome.
Thou great defender of this Capitol,
Stand gracious to the rites that we intend!
Romans, of five and twenty valiant sons,
Half of the number that King Priam had,
Behold the poor remains, alive and dead!
These that survive let Rome reward with love;
These that I bring unto their latest home,
With burial amongst their ancestors:
Here Goths have given me leave to sheathe my sword.
Titus, unkind and careless of thine own,
Why suffer'st thou thy sons, unburied yet,
To hover on the dreadful shore of Styx?
Make way to lay them by their brethren.
Consider This:
Tone/Tone Shift
Allusion
�Saturninus
Noble patricians, patrons of my right,�Defend the justice of my cause with arms,�And, countrymen, my loving followers,�Plead my successive title with your swords:�I am his first-born son, that was the last�That wore the imperial diadem of Rome;�Then let my father's honours live in me,�Nor wrong mine age with this indignity.
Consider This:
Tone, Diction, Imagery
Characterization
Bassianus
Romans, friends, followers, favorers of my right,�If ever Bassianus, Caesar's son,�Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome,�Keep then this passage to the Capitol�And suffer not dishonour to approach�The imperial seat, to virtue consecrate,�To justice, continence and nobility;�But let desert in pure election shine,�And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.
�
Tamora
Stay, Roman brethren! Gracious conqueror,
Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed,
A mother's tears in passion for her son:
And if thy sons were ever dear to thee,
O, think my son to be as dear to me!
Sufficeth not that we are brought to Rome,
To beautify thy triumphs and return,
Captive to thee and to thy Roman yoke,
But must my sons be slaughter'd in the streets,
For valiant doings in their country's cause?
O, if to fight for king and commonweal
Were piety in thine, it is in these.
Andronicus, stain not thy tomb with blood:
Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods?
Draw near them then in being merciful:
Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge:
Thrice noble Titus, spare my first-born son.�
Paraphrase & Discuss Tamora’s 3 arguments for sparing the life of Alarbus.
Titus Andronicus
Patient yourself, madam, and pardon me.�These are their brethren, whom you Goths beheld�Alive and dead, and for their brethren slain�Religiously they ask a sacrifice:�To this your son is mark'd, and die he must,�To appease their groaning shadows that are gone.�
Consider: Tone,Characterization,
Tragic Flaw
Titus Andronicus
Give me a staff of honour for mine age,�But not a sceptre to control the world:�Upright he held it, lords, that held it last…
Content thee, prince; I will restore to thee�The people's hearts, and wean them from themselves…
�Tribunes, I thank you: and this suit I make;�That you create your emperor's eldest son, �Lord Saturnine; whose virtues will, I hope,�Reflect on Rome as Titan's rays on earth,�Then, if you will elect by my advice,�Crown him and say 'Long live our emperor!'�
�
Consider:
Is this humility, ingratitude, arrogance, irresponsibility?
Saturninus
Titus Andronicus, for thy favors done�To us in our election this day,�I give thee thanks in part of thy desserts,�And will with deeds requite thy gentleness:�And, for an onset, Titus, to advance�Thy name and honourable family,�Lavinia will I make my empress,�Rome's royal mistress, mistress of my heart,�And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse:�Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please thee?...
Thanks, noble Titus, father of my life.
How proud I am of thee and of they gifts
Rome shall record and when I do forget
The least of these unspeakable desserts,
Romans, forget your fealty to me.�
Consider:
Tone
Leadership
Gratitude
Irony
Foreshadowing
Saturninus
A goodly lady, trust me; of the hue�That I would choose, were I to choose anew.�Clear up, fair queen, that cloudy countenance:�Though chance of war hath wrought this change of cheer,�Thou comest not to be made a scorn in Rome:�Princely shall be thy usage every way…
Lavinia, you are not displeas’d with this?...
And therefore, lovely Tamora, queen of Goths,…�If thou be pleased with this my sudden choice,�Behold, I choose thee, Tamora, for my bride,�And will create thee empress of Rome,�Speak, Queen of Goths, dost thou applaud my choice?�
Consider:
Irony
Cadence
Tone
Characterization
Titus Andronicus
Nor thou, nor he, are any sons of mine;�My sons would never so dishonour me:�Traitor, restore Lavinia to the emperor…
Traitors, away! he rests not in this tomb:…�Here none but soldiers and Rome's servitors�Repose in fame; none basely slain in brawls:�Bury him where you can; he comes not here…
The dismal’st day is this that e’er I saw,
To be dishonoured by my sons in Rome!
Well, bury him, and bury me the next.
�
Consider:
Diction
Tragic flaw
Foreshadow
Tamora
I'll find a day to massacre them all�And raze their faction and their family,�The cruel father and his traitorous sons,�To whom I sued for my dear son's life,�And make them know what 'tis to let a queen�Kneel in the streets and beg for grace in vain.�
Consider:
How does this contrast with the scene in
which Tamora begs Titus to spare her son?
“Eye for an eye”?
Justice vs Vengeance?
Tamora
And let it be mine honour, good my lord,�That I have reconciled your friends and you.�For you, Prince Bassianus, I have pass'd�My word and promise to the emperor,�That you will be more mild and tractable.�And fear not lords, and you, Lavinia;�By my advice, all humbled on your knees,�You shall ask pardon of his majesty.
Consider: Foreshadow, Tone, Characterization�