Titus Andronicus Know-the-Show Audience Guide - researched and written by - The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
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The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Titus
Andronicus
by William Shakespeare
Know-the-Show
Audience Guide
researched and written by
the Education Department of
Artwork by
Scott McKowen
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
In this Guide
– The Life of William Shakespeare................................................................................................ 2
– Titus Andronicus: Director’s Note............................................................................................... 3
– Titus Andronicus: A Synopsis..................................................................................................... 5
– Who’s Who in the Play.............................................................................................................. 7
– Sources and History................................................................................................................... 8
– The Peacham Drawing............................................................................................................... 9
– Titus Andronicus: A Play for Our Time?.................................................................................... 10
– Commentary & Criticism......................................................................................................... 11
– Theatre in Shakespeare’s Day................................................................................................... 12
– In this Production.................................................................................................................... 13
– Explore Online........................................................................................................................ 14
– Sources & Further Reading....................................................................................................... 15
1
of
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Life
The
William
playwright. He wrote approximately 38 plays, two epic poems,
and over 150 sonnets. His work was immensely popular, appealing
Shakespeare to members of all social spheres including Queen Elizabeth I and
King James I. While the plays were well-liked, Shakespeare’s
work was not considered by his educated contemporaries to be
exceptional. By 1608, Shakespeare’s involvement with theatre
William Shakespeare, widely began to dwindle, and he spent more time at his country home in
recognized as the greatest English Stratford. He died in 1616.
dramatist, was born on April 23,
1564. He was the third of eight Most of Shakespeare’s plays found
children born to John Shakespeare their first major publication
and Mary Arden of Stratford- in 1623, seven years after
upon-Avon in Warwickshire, Shakespeare’s death, when
England. Shakespeare’s father was two of his fellow actors put
a prominent local merchant, and the plays together in the First
Shakespeare’s childhood, though Folio. Other early printings
National Portrait Gallery, London little is known about it for certain, of Shakespeare’s plays were
appears to have been quite normal. called quartos, a printer’s
In fact, it seems that the young term referring to the format in
Shakespeare was allowed considerable leisure time because his which the publication was laid
writing contains extensive knowledge of hunting and hawking. out. These quartos and the First
In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer. Folio texts are the sources of all
She was eight years his senior, and the match was considered modern printings of Shakespeare’s
unconventional. plays.
The Shakespeare Family
Coat of Arms
It is believed that Shakespeare left Stratford-upon-Avon and went
to London around 1588. By 1592, he was a successful actor and
2
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Titus accessible glimpse into the potential
Andronicus
of a young playwright just beginning
to find his voice.
The seduction of revenge is clearly
Director’s Note central to the plot, but so are the
consequences of revenge and,
Titus Andronicus is a play that has been on my “wish list” since my surprisingly, the importance of
college years - when Bruce Cromer, who plays the titular role in this family. Every atrocity that takes place
production, was my Shakespeare professor. The play rightfully has in the vicious world of this play is
a reputation for being Shakespeare’s bloodiest work, and that was committed either to protect family or
certainly a major draw for me nearly three decades ago as a younger to exact revenge for a wrong done to
artist – something wild and intense for audiences and artists alike. Since family. As a father now, I am struck
then, I have become far more intrigued with the unexpected depths that by the sometimes twisted sense of John Boydell’s etching of the attack on
family that is set firmly at the heart Lavinia as Tamora watches.
the play possesses. Looking past the “shock and awe” moments of Titus,
one sees stark human stories filled with love and betrayal, desire and of this play. Titus forces us to take a
longing, cruelty and compassion. I also hope that audiences and readers long, hard look at how far we would go for family in terms of revenge.
will discover the beautiful poetry and imagery that ripple throughout the It then requires that we consider the consequences. What would you
play. do if something unspeakable happened to your child or to your parent?
How would you respond if all legal outlets were denied to you? What
Written to appease the Elizabethan audience’s desire for revenge- if the community to whom you had been devoted suddenly turned its
dramas, Titus was a kind of “pop-tragedy” for the up-and-coming back on you in your time of need? What might you do if, by chance, you
Shakespeare. It was so popular that it was printed in quarto form were given power over those who had wronged you? It is a frightening
within its first year. The dynamic characters and diabolic blood-letting rabbit hole to go down because I expect, if honestly examined, many
that enthralled the Elizabethans, often grab the spotlight, but now law-abiding individuals would find themselves committing previously
with the advantage of perspective, one can also see the seeds of what unthinkable acts in the name of family. This is why I believe Titus is an
Shakespeare would later nurture into his masterpieces. The drive of important play in the Shakespearean canon. Few artists examine the
revenge becomes more considered and weighty in Hamlet; a parent’s human soul (especially the dark recesses we often attempt to deny) as
anguish at the sight of their injured child is refined later in King Lear artfully as Shakespeare, and in doing so, he requires us to examine
and the Henry VI plays; a mother’s desperate plea for her son’s life is ourselves. This is an arena in which Shakespeare soars. His
revisited in Henry VI, Part Three; and the charismatic, ruthless villains writing captures shockingly honest glimpses into our humanity
find greater nuance in Othello and Richard III. This is an exciting and and inhumanity. Titus examines the darkest extremes
3
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
“WHEN?” IN ROME
of our desires, our hubris, our I workshopped an abridged version of the play with members of our
Unlike Shakespeare’s other pettiness, our ambitions, our loves, Summer Professional Training Program. That workshop, which involved
Roman plays, the story of Titus our cruelty, and our frailty; and over three dozen college-level actors, designers, technicians, directors,
has no basis in historical fact in so doing so, I believe it allows and stage managers, reignited my curiosity and excitement about the play.
or lore. In fact, the Rome that us, or encourages us, to consider It seems only right that this production is also infused with the enthusiasm
he depicts never existed. There better paths to follow. and tenacity of the next generation of theatre artists. Supplementing
are senators and tribunes, but our professional company (which includes two actors from that 2015
also emperors and familial When leaders make impulsive workshop), there will be over a dozen members of our Summer
inheritance of power. As decisions based on petty conflicts Professional Training Program on stage and in the wings.
the Shakespeare editor T.J.B. or personal ego, as we see in the
Spencer explains, the play early moments of this play, the Brian B. Crowe, Director
is “a summary of Roman entire foundation of a society can
politics. It is not so much that
be undermined. Many characters
any particular set of political
in Titus commit atrocities under
institutions is assumed in Titus, TITUS BY THE NUMBERS
the guise of societal traditions or
but rather that it includes all the
sacred ceremony. Public opinion
political institutions that Rome “Titus Andronicus has
is manipulated and swayed in a
ever had.” 14 killings, 9 of them on stage,
matter of a few lines based on the
whims of key figures in authority.
6 severed members,
We need only to look today’s daily
1 rape...
news to see people celebrating the brutality and bloodshed perpetrated
1 live burial,
on “the other” in their communities. We see the horrors of detention 1 case of insanity, and
centers across the globe, calculated attacks on a nation’s own people, 1 of (case of) cannibalism
families being ripped apart in strange lands, or Draconian actions taken
— an average of 5.2 atrocities per Act,
by leaders who have felt snubbed. I feel that Titus is a warning to us;
or one (atrocity) for every 97 lines.”
a microcosmic examination of what can happen when one chooses
cruelty, violence, and revenge as one’s guiding force. It is a play for our
-calculated by
time.
S. Clark Hulse, critic
I have explored this play twice before. As part of our 2010 Lend Us
Your Ears series I directed a reading of the play, and then in 2015,
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The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Titus the eldest son of the late emperor, be named the next leader of Rome,
and the people accept his choice. In recognition of the honor which Titus
Andronicus
has bestowed on him, Emperor Saturninus promises to marry Titus’ only
daughter, Lavinia. Lavinia, however, is already betrothed to Saturninus’
younger brother Bassianus, and the couple fleas under the protective
A Synopsis
guard of her brothers. The youngest brother, Mutius, is left behind to
defend against any pursuit. In a fit of fury Titus kills Mutius. Saturninus,
offended by this public humiliation, quickly denounces the Andronici,
Please note: Below is a full summary of the play. If you prefer not to and marries Tamora, the Queen of the Goths instead. Tamora brokers a
spoil the plot, consider skipping this section. peace between Saturninus and the Andronici, while secretly plotting to
destroy Titus and his family. The families depart for a celebratory feast
Following the death of the Emperor, Saturninus and Bassianus, the dead honoring Saturninus’ coronation, as well as the marriages of Saturninus to
emperor’s sons, vie for the empery. Members of the Senate announce, Tamora and Bassianus to Lavinia. Saturninus agrees to join Titus and his
however, that the people have selected the celebrated war hero, Titus family on a hunt the next day.
Andronicus, to be their preferred candidate.
Alone on stage, Aaron, Tamora’s secret lover, vows to follow the newly
Titus and his sons triumphantly crowned empress in her rise to power. Hearing Tamora’s sons, Chiron
return to Rome following a 10- and Demetrius, arguing over their desires for Lavinia, Aaron convinces
year war with the Goths. Their the young men to take Lavinia by force while on the hunt. They include
captives include the Queen of the new empress in their plans and soon have a plot to ensnare Bassianus,
the Goths, Tamora; her three Lavinia, and two of Titus’ three remaining sons.
sons; and Aaron, a Moor. As
Titus prepares to bury two of his Aaron buries a bag of gold under a tree near a large pit in the forest and
sons killed in the latest conflict instructs Tamora to deliver a forged note to Saturninus. When Bassianus
with the Goths, his remaining and Lavinia see Tamora and Aaron together, they quickly suspect them
sons demand a sacrifice to of being lovers. Before they can go tell the Emperor, however, Chiron
appease the spirits of their fallen and Demetrius appear; they kill Bassianus and throw his corpse into the
brethren. Titus offers Tamora’s large open pit. Lavinia pleads with Tamora for mercy, to no avail. After
eldest son, who, despite his ravishing Lavinia, Chiron and Demetrius cut off her tongue and her hands
mother’s desperate pleas, is taken so she cannot betray their identities to anyone who finds her.
away and sacrificed.
Meanwhile, Aaron lures Titus’ sons Martius and Quintus to the pit
When offered the empery, Titus where Bassianus’ body lies. As planned, the brothers stumble into
Thomas Kirk illustration of Young Lucius refuses. He asks that Saturninus, the pit and discover the body of the slain Bassianus. Aaron
fleeing Lavinia, 1799.
5
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
quickly brings Saturninus to the same spot; Tamora, Titus, and Lucius calling for a parley.
arrive shortly after. Aaron’s forged note details the plot to murder
Bassianus and the gold buried as the murderer’s fee. Convinced that Outside the gates of Rome, Lucius’ army captures Aaron as he attempts to
Martius and Quintus are responsible for Bassianus’ death, Saturninus escape with his infant son. After being assured of the safety of his child,
has them arrested. Aaron confesses that he aided Chiron and Demetrius in the murder of
Bassianus and the rape of Lavinia. He also confesses that he helped to
Titus appeals to the noblemen of Rome to save the lives of his sons, but frame Lucius’ brothers for Bassianus’ death.
he is ignored. Lucius, Titus’ eldest son, is banished for attempting to res-
cue Martius and Quintus from prison. Meanwhile Marcus, Titus’ broth- In the meantime, Tamora,
er, finds the mutilated Lavinia in the woods and brings her to her father. Chiron, and Demetrius disguise
Devastated, the men lament the wrongs perpetrated on her, but do not themselves as the spirits of PHILOMELA & TEREUS
know who is responsible. Aaron enters and informs Titus of the Em- Revenge, Rape, and Murder Lavinia’s attack is based on the tale of
peror’s offer to save his sons from execution. If either Titus, Marcus, or and visit Titus. Titus pretends to Philomela as told in the sixth book of
Lucius will send Saturninus one of their hands, the young men will live. believe their masquerade and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In this story
Titus quickly offers up his own hand and gives it to Aaron. Aaron’s trick agrees to arrange a feast for the Philomela, a princess of Athens, is raped
works, and soon Titus is given back the heads of his executed sons and Emperor and Lucius. When by her brother-in-law, King Tereus of
his own severed hand. Titus sends Lucius to the Goths to raise an army Tamora departs, leaving her two Thrace. To ensure her silence, he cuts
to enact revenge, while he, Lavinia, and Marcus mourn their losses. sons with Titus, he cuts their out her tongue and hides her among his
throats as Lavinia catches their slaves. Philomela, however, weaves her
Several months have passed, when Lavinia comes across the story of blood in a basin. He plans to story into a tapestry which she sends to
Philomela and Tereus which greatly resembles her own plight. Through bake the villains into pies which her sister Procne, wife to Tereus. Seeking
this book, she is able to communicate what happened to her to her he will feed to their mother at revenge, the sisters kill Tereus’ son and
family. She scratches the names of her attackers in the dirt, and Titus the baquet. As secret treacheries bake him in a pie, which they serve to
begins to plot his revenge in earnest. are revealed, the feast quickly Tereus.
turns to chaos, resulting in the
Meanwhile in the capital, Tamora gives birth. It is apparent, however, murders of Lavinia, Tamora, Titus,
that the child is not Saturninus’, but Aaron’s. When she orders Aaron to and Saturninus.
kill the child, he plots instead how to keep his child safe.
Lucius is elected Emperor of
Desperate for revenge, Titus attempts to summon the gods to his aid by Rome and condemns Aaron
shooting arrows with messages into the heavens. The arrows fall into to be buried neck deep in the
the palace of Saturninus, who rails on what he feels is blasphemous earth to starve to death. He also
defamation of his empery. Word arrives that Lucius has amassed a orders that Tamora’s remains not
powerful Goth army and is preparing to advance on Rome. Tamora receive a proper burial but be left Procne, Philomela and Tereus
calms the Emperor and convinces him that she can persuade the “mad” for carrion birds. Driven Insane, Book VI, Illustration
from Ovid’s Metamorphoses
Titus to call off the attack. In the meantime, word is sent to Lucius
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The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Who’s Who
in the Play
THE ROYALS: CITIZENS OF ROME:
SATURNINUS: The eldest son of the dead emperor. AEMILIUS: a nobleman of Rome.
BASSIANUS: The youngest son of the dead emperor; betrothed to NURSE to Tamora
Lavinia. Senators, Tribunes, and Judges
Supporters of Saturninus and Supporters of Bassianus for the empery
THE ANDRONICI: Messengers and Soldiers in the Roman Army
TITUS ANDRONICUS: A celebrated general in the Roman army,
returning victorious from a decade-long war with the Goths.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS: A tribune of Rome; brother to Titus.
LUCIUS: The eldest living son of Titus.
QUINTUS: A son of Titus.
MARTIUS: A son of Titus.
MUTIUS: The youngest living son of Titus.
LAVINIA: The only daughter to Titus; betrothed to Bassianus.
YOUNG LUCIUS: The son of Lucius; grandson of Titus.
PUBLIUS, SEMPRONIUS, and CAIUS: Relatives of Titus.
THE GOTHS:
TAMORA: Queen of the Goths; arrives in Rome as captive to Titus.
AARON: A Moor; lover to Tamora.
ALARBUS: The eldest son of Tamora.
DEMETRIUS: A son of Tamora.
CHIRON: A son of Tamora.
Soldiers in the Goth Army
Costume renderings for Titus, Lavinia, and the Senators
by Costume Designer Yao Chen © 2018.
7
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The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Sources contemporary works
likely influenced the
History villainous character
of Aaron, including
Christopher
Marlowe’s The Jew
Unlike his other Roman plays (Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, of Malta and George
and Coriolanus), Shakespeare’s The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie Peele’s The Battell of
of Titus Andronicus did not evolve from any accepted Roman legend Alcazar.
or history. The play appears to take place in the later Roman Empire,
but anachronistic details make it difficult to pinpoint a specific era. Shakespeare is
Though no major source material for the play is known, numerous likely believed to have
influences have been identified. An Italian prose narrative, The History written Titus
of Titus Andronicus, the Renowned Roman General, and a ballad, Andronicus between Aaron Protecting His Son from Joseph Graves’
“Titus Andronicus’ Complaint,” appeared within a few years of the play, Dramatic Tales Founded on Shakespeare’s Plays, 1840
1588 and 1593, but
but since both works were anonymous and undated, scholars dispute the precise year has
whether Shakespeare was influenced by these works or if these writers been debated. Regardless, it is his earliest tragedy and closely resembles
were influenced by Shakespeare. Other potential inspirations for Titus the popular revenge tragedies of the day. The abundant use of Latin
include the Gesta Romanorum, a popular collection of Latin tales dating expressions and classical allusions – less frequent in later works – suggest
from the thirteenth century, and the works of fellow Elizabethan writers a young playwright eager to prove himself. Some scholars suspect that
Matteo Bandello and William Painter, both of whom Shakespeare is George Peele may have had a hand in writing portions of the play, while
known to have consulted later in his career. others maintain that it is the work of Shakespeare alone. If there was
a collaboration, Act One, Act Two Scene 1, and Act Four Scene 1 are
Although sources for the overall plot of Titus Andronicus have considered to be the most likely sections with contributions from Peele.
proven elusive, scholars have found clear inspirations for elements
of Shakespeare’s play. The rape and mutilation of Lavinia strongly Philip Henslowe recorded the earliest known performance of Titus
resemble the attack on Philomela depicted in Ovid’s Metamorphoses Andronicus in his diary on January 24, 1594. The play was a
VI. Philomela’s revenge against her attacker is very similar to the tremendous box office success and it went on to be the most
acts of revenge enacted on Tamora in Titus Andronicus. Additionally, profitable play of the 1594 season according to financial
Titus’ revenge plot parallels the revenge cycle of Seneca’s Thyestes, in records of the time. The play was so popular that it was soon
which an enemy is tricked into devouring his own children. Several published in quarto form later that same year, making it
8
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
RITUAL AND REVENGE
THE PEACHAM DRAWING “...throughout the play the response to the intolerable is ritualized, in
language and action, because ritual is the ultimate means by which
The only Shakespeare play for which we have any contemporaneous illustrations
is Titus Andronicus. Discovered on a single Folio sheet, the image depicts
man seeks to order and control his precarious and unstable world.”
Tamora pleading to Titus to spare her son(s) from execution. Below the image ink -D.J. Palmer, from the Introduction
drawing is a handwritten passage of 40 lines of text, uniting several elements of to the Arden Edition of Titus Andronicus
the play...and even inventing a few others. The text includes Tamora’s speech, and
abbreviated response from Titus and an invented line from Titus telling Aaron to
repent his evil ways. This important document is known as The Peacham Drawing, the first of Shakespeare’s dramatic works to be published. There were
because, on the bottom of the page a 19th-century librarian penciled “Written by
two additional quarto printings of the play before it was included in The
Henry Peacham — author of The Complete Gentleman).
First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays in 1623.
Beyond the unique singularity of its existence, The Peacham Drawing also gives us
a glimpse into how plays were presented and costumed in Shakespeare’s day. As Although tremendously popular in the Elizabethan and Jacobean
once can see, Tamora is dressed much like an English queen rather than a Goth. eras, the extreme violence of Titus Andronicus made the tragedy
Titus wears an armored chestplate and toga-like sash, but the other soldiers are distasteful to later audiences. After the Restoration of 1660, it was
adorned in what appear to be “modern” English and Celtic armor and attire. Aaron one of the few Shakespeare plays not brought back to the stage. Only
and Tamora’s sons are decked in contemporaneous
modified versions of the play were produced in England until 1923,
Elizabethan-wear. Despite the ancient nature of the
when Shakespeare’s original text was finally staged by Robert Atkins
story, Shakespeare’s actors predominantly seem to be
dressed in everyday clothing with minor adjustments during the Old Vic’s cycle of The Complete Works. Even so, directors
(armor, crowns, etc) to represent the status of the remained leery of the piece until Peter Brooks’ critically acclaimed
character for which they are presenting. Royal Shakespeare Company production in 1955, which starred
Laurence Olivier as Titus, Vivien Leigh as Lavinia, and Antony Quayle
as Aaron. Since then, a steady flow of productions have been mounted,
with some attempting to portray the story’s gore realistically and others
choosing to portray it symbolically. Julie Taymor’s 1994 theatrical
production and similar 1999 film adaptation, entitled Titus, utilized a
mixture of ancient and modern design to highlight the timelessness of
the play’s violence. After being overlooked for several centuries, the
frighteningly relevant and often brutal themes of Titus Andronicus are
once again being explored by modern artists and audiences.
The Peacham Drawing; the earliest illustration of Shakespeare,
and the only contemporaneous illustration, ca. 1595
9The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Titus
Andronicus
as it may be, found in the play. Even in recent years, one can see the
ever-increasing popularity of entertainments with a darker examination
of the human experience with series like The Walking Dead, Game of
Thrones, or films like The Purge, to name a few.
A Play for Our Time? “In its willingness to confront violence, often in ways that are
simultaneously shocking and playful, our culture resembles that of
Shakespeare’s first tragedy was modeled on a popular theatrical genre of
the Elizabethans.”
the era, the revenge-tragedy. It was incredibly successful from the time
- Jonathan Bate, Introduction to the
it was written until the Puritans closed the London theatres in 1642.
Arden Edition of Titus Andronicus (1998)
When the theatres reopened in 1660, however, opinions had changed,
and Titus was suddenly considered a distasteful and inferior play. Many
“Titus Andronicus may have become more acceptable thanks to
scholars began to question whether Shakespeare had even written it.
screen violence, from Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs to Quentin
Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.”
“The barbarity of the spectacles, and the general massacre
- Leslie Dunton-Downer & Alan Rider,
which are here exhibited, can scarcely be conceived tolerable to
The Essential Shakespeare Handbook (2004)
any audience.” - Samuel Johnson (1765)
“Indeed, the piece still feels like a play for today. With such
“(Titus is) one of the stupidest and most uninspired plays ever
horrors as Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia and Iraq fresh in the
written, a play in which it is incredible that Shakespeare had any
memory — the scenes of cruel depravity in Abu Ghraib might
hand at all.” - T.S. Eliot (1927)
have come straight from the twisted mind of Aaron, the drama’s
Marlovian chief villain — Titus Andronicus strikes an all-too-
The play was not seen in its original form on stage again until 1923 and
familiar contemporary chord.”
didn’t truly regain popularity until the mid 1950s. Since then, the play
- Charles Spencer, The Telegraph (2006)
has been presented regularly, though not frequently, in theaters. One
must question why the play, which had been left behind for over 300
Regardless of why the play has returned to the popular canon, it
years, reemerged into the theatrical canon. Some argue that the world’s
provides a striking look at the human soul; an examination of
understanding about the psychology of violence was forever altered
how far one might go to save one’s family or enact revenge on
following the first and second world wars, allowing audiences to see
someone who has wronged them.
another layer of the play. Others claim that cultural tastes had simply
changed, and audiences were ready to hear the beautiful poetry, as dark
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The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Commentary full vent to blood, cruelty, disaster, and revenge. Indeed, he went so far
that one can almost wonder if he weren’t deliberately pushing matters to
Criticism
the limit in order to express his disgust for the whole genre.”
Isaac Asimov, Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare
“This play is Shakespeare’s ultimate exploration of violence — religious
violence, domestic violence, political violence, sexual violence, punitive
“I believe... it (Titus Andronicus) was one of the dramatist’s most violence. When Peter Brook directed this play, he had an ambulance
inventive plays, a complex and self-conscious improvisation upon waiting to shuttle audience members to the hospital. Sir Laurence
classical sources, most notably the Metamorphoses of Ovid.” Olivier, who played Titus, said at least three audience members fainted
Jonathan Bate, from the Introduction to the every evening.”
Arden edition of Titus Andronicus Kenji Yoshino, Revenge as Revenant
“...Titus Andronicus is certainly the least satisfying Shakespearean “In watching Titus Andronicus we come to understand — perhaps more
tragedy, it was also his first attempt at the genre, and it has features than by looking at any other Shakespeare play — the nature of his genius:
that suggest the grander achievements to come. Although it is inferior he gave an inner awareness to passions; cruelty ceased to be merely
to later work, it is a fine play by the standards of 1590; the young physical. Shakespeare discovered the moral hell. He discovered heaven
Shakespeare was already a successful professional playwright.” as well. But he remained on earth.”
Charles Boyce, Shakespeare A to Z Jan Cott, Shakespeare, Our Contemporary
“For all our ‘civilized’ disgust at the Elizabethans’ enthusiasm for public “It seems like a play for today; it
disemboweling and mutilation, are we morally any better than them? reeks of now.”
Even though the amputations and cannibalism of Titus are not real, is Julie Taymor, director
there not real pleasure in their seeming to be? This is entertainment, but (from an interview with Charlie Rose
entertainment that goads us towards our own depravity — civilization on January 19, 2000)
and barbarity, as inseparable as two sides of a piece of paper.”
TimesHigherEducation.co.uk
“These blood-and-thunder plays written about horrible crimes and
horrible revenges were immensely popular in Elizabethan times...
Costume renderings for Chiron and
Shakespeare had no objection to success and was perfectly willing to
Demetrius by Costume Designer
adjust himself to popular taste. In Titus Andronicus he therefore gave Yao Chen © 2018.
11Theatre
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
WHAT DO I WEAR?
People often ask if shows
in Shakespeare’s Day at The Shakespeare
Theatre will be performed
in “traditional dress” or
SEEING A PLAY VS. HEARING A PLAY “like real Shakespeare.”
Modern audiences go to the theater to see a play; but Shakespeare’s This comes up even more
audiences would go to the theatre to hear a play. His audience was often with the history
much more attuned to the language of the play, the inflections of plays.
the actors’ voices, and rhythms of the poetry. This is not to say that Will Kempe in The Nine Wonders, ca. 1600.
Shakespeare’s plays lacked visual interest; just that the visual elements It is interesting to note
were not nearly as important as the language. that, though often sumptuous and expensive, the costumes used in
Shakespeare’s plays were rarely correct to the period of the play. Most
We see this is, in some ways, true today, at least in the words we use to often, actors were dressed in their finest attire (or clothes donated by
describe attending the theatre. People who attend the theater are most wealthy patrons), and then these clothes were adorned with capes or
often referred to as an “audience” sharing the root of audio or sound in crowns or other items denoting the character’s status. The shows in
the name. Conversely, people who attend movies are often referred to Shakespeare’s day were simply put up too quickly to create elaborate
as “movie-goers;” sports enthusiasts are often referred to as “spectators.” period-accurate costumes for the full company; noe did they have
the money to do so. Therefore, despite popular assumption, a more
accurate “traditional dress” approach to Shakespeare plays would
be to dress actors in their finest contemporary clothing adorned with
capes and crowns to denote status.
Second There were also very strict laws in Shakespeare’s day detailing what
Globe clothes, styles, and colors citizens were allowed to wear. This was
Theatre, a deliberate maneuver to reinforce the class structure of the era.
detail from
Hollar’s Penalties for violating these Sumptuary Laws could be quite severe
View of — loss of property, imprisonment, fines, and even loss of title. These
London, Sumptuary Laws meant that fashionable clothes could only be worn
1647.
by the wealthy and were often only seen at a distance.
12In
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Scenic rendering, preliminary rendering
of the forest, and the model of the set
for Titus Andronicus by Scenic Designer
this Production
Richard Block © 2018.
Costume renderings for
Aaron, Saturninus, The Goddess of
Revenge, Bassianus, and the Roman
Army by Costume Designer,
Yao Chen © 2018.
13The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Explore Online
SHAKESPEARE WROTE IN MODERN ENGLISH. Despite
popular belief, Shakespeare did not write in Olde or even
Middle English. Take a listen to these samples of Olde and
Middle English for yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL071DC49FD027E2A2
A link to the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Titus Andronicus page
http://www.folger.edu./titus-andronicus
Read the story of Philomela and King Tereus, which was the foundation
for Lavinia’s story in Titus Andronicus.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/t?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02
.0028%3Abook%3D6%3Acard%3D412
An exploration of race and relationships discussed in the BBC podcast
SHAKESPEARE: LOVE ACROSS THE RACIAL DIVIDE, with a focus on
Titus Andronicus.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07bc1tt
14&
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018 TITUS ANDRONICUS: Know-the-Show Guide
Sources
Further Reading
THE ANNOTATED SHAKESPEARE, Introductions, Notes, and THEATRE: A WAY OF SEEING, Third Edition by Milly S. Barranger
Bibliography by A.L. Rowe
THE ESSENTIAL SHAKESPEARE HANDBOOK, by Leslie Dunton-Downer
A READER’S GUIDE TO SHAKESPEARE by Muriel B. Ingham and Alan Riding
ASIMOV’S GUIDE TO SHAKESPEARE by Isaac Asimov SHAKESPEARE SET FREE, edited by Peggy O’Brien
THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO SHAKESPEARE, SHAKING HANDS WITH SHAKESPEARE, by Alison Wedell Schumacher
by Laurie Rozakis THE ARDEN SHAKESPEARE: TITUS ANDRONICUS, edited by Jonathan
Bate
FREEING SHAKESPEARE’S VOICE by Kristin Linklater
THE NEW CAMBRIDGE SHAKESPEARE: TITUS ANDRONICUS, edited by
THE FRIENDLY SHAKESPEARE by Norrie Epstein Alan Hughes
“NOTES ON TITUS ANDRONICUS” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
LECTURES ON SHAKESPEARE by W. H. Auden
TITUS OUT OF JOINT: READING THE FRAGMENTED TITUS
THE MIRACLE OF LANGUAGE by Richard Lederer ANDRONICUS edited by Liberty Stanavage and Paxton Hehmeyer
SHAKESPEARE A TO Z by Charles Boyce
SHAKESPEARE AFTER ALL by Marjorie Garber
SHAKESPEARE FOR BEGINNERS by Brandon Toropov
SHAKESPEARE FOR DUMMIES by Doyle, Lischner, and Dench
SHAKESPEARE’S IMAGERY by Caroline Spurgeon
SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE, Consultant Editors Keith Parsons
and Pamela Mason
SHAKESPEARE: THE INVENTION OF THE HUMAN by Harold Bloom
SHAKESPEARE OUR CONTEMPORARY by Jan Kott
15You can also read
