1440400 1623 Shakespeare. Titus Andronicus. Title Page.
10212.
Titus Andronicus. From the First Folio. 1623.
Title Page. Tragedies 31-32.
Titus Andronicus was a very popular play in Shakespeare’s time. In keeping with the late 16th century audience tastes it includes an enormous cast of characters and a great many very gory scenes. This fragment is the title page which opens with a flourish as Romans crowd onto the stage from above and from stage left and Stage right. Also entering from opposite sides are two sons (Saturninus and Bassianus) of the recently deceased Emperor. Each side pleads with the people of Rome to elect their candidate to assume their father’s place. However the tribune, Marcus Andronicus, silences the crowd with the announcement that the people have chosen instead his brother Titus, a long-serving fiercely loyal and mighty general of Rome who has recently returned after conquering the Goths .
Tamora, Queen of the Goths, who will later in the play become Empress of Rome, she begs Titus not to execute her eldest son Alarbist as payment for the 21 Sons he is lost in battle. Titus’s brother Marcus now discloses to him the news of his election by the people but Titus refuses citing his old age and preferring a younger man. he passes the honor on to Saturninus as first born. Saturninus demands Titus daughter Lavinia as his empress. Since Lavinia is currently betrothed to Bassanius she flees with him. Saturninus then takes Tamora as his bride.
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