Titus Andronicus

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Titus Andronicus has had a fair share of mixed reviews over the last centuries but has still remained a work of fascinating symbolism as well as a violent, poetic story. The story was meant to entertain the lower classes of England at the time who enjoyed such activities as bear baiting, where a bear would have its claws and teeth pulled out before being tied to a post where savage pitt-bulls would bite it to death (White). The people of sixteenth century England were also very accustomed to public hangings and torturous punishments. Colin Burrow, a researcher of early Tudor literature, noted that, "Cruelty is part of Shakespeare's World and it generates a high proportion of the energy into his drama." (Smith 4). When the play was first published, it received exceptional reviews, but later it was spat on as one of the most disgustingly violent and worse written Shakespeare play. How did the reviews turn so sour so quickly? The culture at the time had the most to do with it. With such violent epics such as The Godfather, Scarface, Natural Born Killers, and Pulp Fiction, it is no wonder that Titus Andronicus has once again revealed itself to the masses as an entertaining piece of work. The idolization of violent entertainment in recent years is the reason for the increase of appeal towards Shakespeare's play Titus Andronicus.

The reviews of this play from the 1930's show us that most people did not like violent literature. It was around this time that America fell into the Depression. Reading Titus probably did not amuse them because of the heavy burden of poverty. In 1934 T.S. Eliot dismissed the play as "one of the stupidest and most uninspired plays ever." If only he had known that stupidest wasn't a word, he probably would'...

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...r the raping of Lavinia, Titus kills Tamora's sons, bakes them into a pastry, and serves it back unto Tamora's stomach, where they came from. Titus also kills her after letting her know that she ate her two remaining sons, so for this Saturninus, in a fit of rage, murders Titus. To top it off, to avenge his father, Lucius kills the Emperor, Saturninus. "Revenge has the final grim chuckle, having wracked havoc on fractured human psyches and the Roman state." (Smith 32).

Works Cited

Smith, Henry. Shakesphere's Tragedies. New York: Mcgraw-Hill, 1984.

Nightingale, Joesph. Symbolism in Shakesphere. Boston: Delmar, 1995.

Shakesphere, William. Titus Andronicus. England, 1596.

White, Janet. "From the Gallows to the Stage." 6/17/99. Ebsco host. Accessed at HCC lib., MA. 12/03/04.

Titus. Julie Taymor, Jody Patton, Shakesphere. VHS. Fox Searchlights, 2000

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