Between the bloodbaths and betrayal in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, one recurring theme arises: communication within a community. Through characters literally not being able to communicate, and some simply being too stubborn to hear anything, the strength of the governmental body and community continuously weakens throughout the plot. This lack of communication creates a strong divide between the Roman people and the few Goths that have been captured and brought back to Rome. Especially with the audience of the original production of this play, the common conception is that Romans are a generally civilized community and the Goth community is one of barbarism and gore. Titus Andronicus explores the stereotypes of these communities through
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When she speaks though, a tone of sophistication and piety comes through in her language as she begs Titus to spare her son. She attempts to reason with Titus, knowing he is a father as well, with “tears in passion for her son” (I, i, 106). Similar to the repetition of the word honour in description of Titus, the words tears, passion, and mercy are repeated in Tamora’s attempts to save her son, setting up the contrast between conception and reality about the Goth community. With this, it becomes unclear if the Roman’s rash description of the Goth community is accurate. This is further emphasized with Tamora’s use of sharper words such as “slaughter” and Titus’s merciless response, “die he must” (1.1.125). Here there is a dramatic change in the Roman community, and almost a feeling of pity for the Goths. The Roman community is now looking to be one of “cruel irreligious piety”, not of honour and grace. Even Tamora’s sons, Chiron and Demetrius, claim the Goth community was never “half so barbarous” (1.1.130-131). This shift in the image of both communities becomes the start of a trend throughout the plot, a trend that shapes the theme behind the madness that is Titus …show more content…
In the period that this play was originally put on, the classical Roman schooling and principles were very popular, but the Goth community were the original founders of England. Not only is the audience faced with a decision of righteousness in the play, but in their own lives and whether or not the revival of Roman tradition is good for their own community or not. Titus Andronicus arises questions regarding how succession works, appropriate rituals for maintaining peace, appropriate rituals for religious observants, if there is ever a place for ritualistic violence. All these questions and more make this play much more than bloody chaos, and can even be relevant in our own communities today. It can help us evaluate which policies in our own government are still relevant simply because they always have been and the changing parts of our society as truly wrong or we have always perceived. Will our community shift from being noble and righteous to barbaric and merciless in trying to preserve the sanity we
When she speaks though, a tone of sophistication and piety comes through in her language as she begs Titus to spare her son. She attempts to reason with Titus, knowing he is a father as well, with “tears in passion for her son” (I, i, 106). Similar to the repetition of the word honour in description of Titus, the words tears, passion, and mercy are repeated in Tamora’s attempts to save her son, setting up the contrast between conception and reality about the Goth community. With this, it becomes unclear if the Roman’s rash description of the Goth community is accurate. This is further emphasized with Tamora’s use of sharper words such as “slaughter” and Titus’s merciless response, “die he must” (1.1.125). Here there is a dramatic change in the Roman community, and almost a feeling of pity for the Goths. The Roman community is now looking to be one of “cruel irreligious piety”, not of honour and grace. Even Tamora’s sons, Chiron and Demetrius, claim the Goth community was never “half so barbarous” (1.1.130-131). This shift in the image of both communities becomes the start of a trend throughout the plot, a trend that shapes the theme behind the madness that is Titus …show more content…
In the period that this play was originally put on, the classical Roman schooling and principles were very popular, but the Goth community were the original founders of England. Not only is the audience faced with a decision of righteousness in the play, but in their own lives and whether or not the revival of Roman tradition is good for their own community or not. Titus Andronicus arises questions regarding how succession works, appropriate rituals for maintaining peace, appropriate rituals for religious observants, if there is ever a place for ritualistic violence. All these questions and more make this play much more than bloody chaos, and can even be relevant in our own communities today. It can help us evaluate which policies in our own government are still relevant simply because they always have been and the changing parts of our society as truly wrong or we have always perceived. Will our community shift from being noble and righteous to barbaric and merciless in trying to preserve the sanity we