Shakespeare’s tragedies are all built with protagonists that follow a similar pattern of a dramatic fall after a significant discovery or an anagnorisis. Anagnorisis, by definition, is a pivotal discovery made by the protagonist. That discovery can be a fatal flaw, such as Richard II discovering how his mismanagement has led to him being dethroned by Bolingbrook. It can also be the catalyst to revenge, such as Hamlet’s discovery of his father’s murder or Titus’ discovery of Tamora’s treachery. With all three protagonists, the anagnorisis is a trigger for a significant shift in their motivations and ideals. This shift also lends to the drama of the story, making the characters more dynamic. In Richard II, King Richard undergoes an anagnorisis
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The character of Titus begins the play on a positive note. He’s a decorated and respected war hero. He has a strong and lively family around him. The people of Rome even trust him with taking leadership after the untimely death of the Emperor of Rome. Initially, Titus is a very sympathetic character. However almost immediately the readers are greeted with the first major notch against him. Titus’ son is killed in the conflict and as part of Roman customs, making a ritual sacrifice necessary. Tamora, the captured Queen of the Goths, is forced to lose her eldest son to the ritual. This sets the stage for a revenge feud between Titus’ family and Tamora’s group. This initial presentation of Titus is very cold and brutal, even killing his own son for disrespecting him. This gives a starting point to compare any significant discovery leading to significant change in character. In act IV Titus has achieved his anagnorisis. Lavinia is guided in with Lucius and uses Ovid’s Metamorphoses to describe the acts of violence that were committed against her. She names Chiron and Demetrius as the culprits leading to the entire group of them to vow revenge. This is the big turning point of Titus’ story. This is where he takes this newfound information and uses it to begin plotting how he’ll get revenge for the injustices his family has experienced. Titus has undergone the final dynamic change and it’s shown through the next …show more content…
It’s easy to argue that the significance of Hamlets discovery is much more impactful than Richard’s self-awareness. However, Richard’s discovery of how many people have deserted him brings his character into the nihilistic state of mind that encompasses his dialogue in the latter half of the play. Without that source of despair, the changes that Richard undergoes would not be nearly as impactful; Richard would not be a round character. Similarly, Titus’ discovery of the brutalization of Lavinia shapes his actions in the rest of the play. He returns the brutal actions of Chiron and Demetrius with brutal actions of his own. This doesn’t lend to Titus being more sympathetic in the eyes of the audience, but it does paint him as a round character going from the cold father that had no interest in the Roman throne, to enacting passionate revenge on Tamora for her family’s actions. In fact, it’s possible to look at his brutal actions as the culmination of his fall to the brutal style of the Goths themselves. All three characters require their anagnorisis as catalysts for the changes they go
The character of Titus begins the play on a positive note. He’s a decorated and respected war hero. He has a strong and lively family around him. The people of Rome even trust him with taking leadership after the untimely death of the Emperor of Rome. Initially, Titus is a very sympathetic character. However almost immediately the readers are greeted with the first major notch against him. Titus’ son is killed in the conflict and as part of Roman customs, making a ritual sacrifice necessary. Tamora, the captured Queen of the Goths, is forced to lose her eldest son to the ritual. This sets the stage for a revenge feud between Titus’ family and Tamora’s group. This initial presentation of Titus is very cold and brutal, even killing his own son for disrespecting him. This gives a starting point to compare any significant discovery leading to significant change in character. In act IV Titus has achieved his anagnorisis. Lavinia is guided in with Lucius and uses Ovid’s Metamorphoses to describe the acts of violence that were committed against her. She names Chiron and Demetrius as the culprits leading to the entire group of them to vow revenge. This is the big turning point of Titus’ story. This is where he takes this newfound information and uses it to begin plotting how he’ll get revenge for the injustices his family has experienced. Titus has undergone the final dynamic change and it’s shown through the next …show more content…
It’s easy to argue that the significance of Hamlets discovery is much more impactful than Richard’s self-awareness. However, Richard’s discovery of how many people have deserted him brings his character into the nihilistic state of mind that encompasses his dialogue in the latter half of the play. Without that source of despair, the changes that Richard undergoes would not be nearly as impactful; Richard would not be a round character. Similarly, Titus’ discovery of the brutalization of Lavinia shapes his actions in the rest of the play. He returns the brutal actions of Chiron and Demetrius with brutal actions of his own. This doesn’t lend to Titus being more sympathetic in the eyes of the audience, but it does paint him as a round character going from the cold father that had no interest in the Roman throne, to enacting passionate revenge on Tamora for her family’s actions. In fact, it’s possible to look at his brutal actions as the culmination of his fall to the brutal style of the Goths themselves. All three characters require their anagnorisis as catalysts for the changes they go