Titus Andronicus

Roles

• Tamora - Adult (36-50), Senior (>50), Female

About this piece

Tamora asks her sons to kill Bassianus and Lavinia

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. The first thing that Aaron and Tamora plan to do is to kill Bassianus and frame Titus' sons for the murder. In this scene Aaron and Tamora are alone in the forest. Tamora urges Aaron to make love to her but Aaron can only think about revenge. Bassianus and Lavinia spot them and insult Tamora for her behavior. Demetrius and Chiron, Tamora's sons, arrive and Tamora tells them that Bassianus and Lavinia dragged her there to kill her. She asks them to revenge her and they stab Bassianus to death.

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