Titus Andronicus

Roles

• Titus Andronicus - Senior (>50), Male

About this piece

Titus Andronicus kills Chiron and Demetrius

Summary

The play starts after the death of the emperor of Rome. His two sons, Saturninus and Bassianus, fight to become the next emperor. The Tribune of Rome (Marcus Andronicus), however, elects Titus Andronicus, a Roman general, as emperor. Titus Andronicus has just spent ten years fighting in a war to protect Rome and has captured the Queen of the Goths, Tamora, her three sons and her lover Aaron. Following a Roman custom, Titus Andronicus sacrifices Tamora's oldest son to honor all Titus' sons who died in the war. Titus Andronicus refuses to become the next emperor and passes the title to Saturninus. To prove his gratitude Saturninus marries Lavinia, Titus' daughter. Lavinia, however, is already bethothed to Bassinus and decides to flee. Humiliated, Saturninus decides to marry Tamora who now will seek revenge against Titus Andronicus. Tamora's revenge consists in having Bassianus killed and framing Titus Andronicus' sons for it. His sons are beheaded. She has her sons Chiron and Demetrius rape Lavinia. They cut off her hands and tongue so that she cannot reveal who raped her. Lucius, Titus' last surviving son, is banished and he seeks the alliance of the Goths against Rome. Because of all his misfortunes Titus Andronicus starts acting oddly and everybody assumes that he is gone mad. Tamora takes advantage of it by pretending to be the figure of Revenge. She promises to help him if he stops his son Lucius from attacking Rome. Titus is not mad though and he manages to capture Tamora's sons, Chiron and Demetrius. In this monologue he slits their throats and plans to grind their bones to dust and mix it with their blood to make a pie that he will serve to their mother...

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