Titus Andronicus: themes and analysis

Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus as a Most-Loyal Servant to the State

One of the predominant reasons that Shakespeare's plays remain popular is because they present to us realistic and memorable characters. That Shakespeare had the ability to create impressive characters is evident even in his earliest plays. His characters become real because they possess certain characteristics to which we can all relate. In addition, there was something deeply moving about them; they were not static not dry. Critic Harold Bloom asserts that that in Shakespeare, "characters develop rather than unfold, and they develop because they reconceive themselves" (Bloom xix). From this perspective, we can see how some of Shakespeare's most powerful characters are the ones that develop a sense of being outside themselves and they fumble with what it means to be human in a world filled with revenge, madness, and obligation. Three instances that demonstrate Shakespeare's ability to craft powerful characters are Titus Andronicus in Titus Andronicus, Hamlet in Hamlet, and Prince Henry in Henry IV. Each of these characters develop and reconceive themselves right before our eyes. Two come to fruition in that they find some sort of redemption by play's end; one leaves us in a stupor. Hamlet and Henry find peace at the end of their stories while Titus is the only character of the three that seems to die without reconciliation. Titus becomes the example of what can happen when an individual is more loyal to the state than to his or her own family. With a strong focus on Titus, this paper will focus on the inner conflicts on man and what the natural consequences are when one makes the wrong choice.

When we look at Titus, we see a man that embodies Rome and all that it means to be Roman. He honors the Roman code to the point of not shedding a tear for the loss of any of his sons at the beginning of the play A.C. Hamilton maintains that the play is about a man that "sacrifices twenty-two of his sons for the sake of honor... In the name of honor he slays one himself and rejects the rest" (Hamilton 202). Jacques Berthoud asserts that Titus represents the "persistence, within decadent imperial Rome, of traditions of ancient virtue receding into the penumbra of prehistory" (Berthoud). He goes on to state that these traditions are challenged as soon as Titus performs the human sacrifice. One cannot examine Titus Andronicus without considering the significance of madness on the tragic hero. Titus appears to be insane when he behaves the way he does - especially when taking Lavinia's life. When we think of madness in relation to Shakespeare, we must also remember Hamlet, a man haunted by revenge and taunted by madness. He and Titus share the common characteristic of making madness look easy. At certain points in both plays, we sincerely believe that each man is insane but we seem to make our way back to doubt as the men seemingly teeter on the edge of sanity. We recognize this revenge as a type that emerges from the need for revenge. It is ambiguous to us and other characters in the play and probably ambiguous to the protagonist as well. It is important, however, to realize each man is driven by revenge coupled with madness, which includes precision and delicacy. Both men prove to be insane to the point of weakness; weakness which proves to be a part of their plan. Titus appears to be mad when he tricks Tamora, all the while knowing that she will soon be eating her own sons. Likewise, Hamlet fools the King, the Queen, and others into thinking that he may have lost his mind.

Harold Bloom contends that early in the first act if the play, Titus must "be regarded as a bizarre monster" (Bloom 79) and by the fifth act, Shakespeare has "done all he could do to develop out antipathy for Titus" (Bloom 80). This fact cannot be argued as the man has demonstrated the most extreme disregard for human life. He allows power to corrupt him to the point of no return. In short, he sacrifices Alarbus regardless of how Tamora pleads with him. Next, he gives his daughter, whom is betrothed to Bassianus, to Saturninus. He kills Mutius for defying his orders, which was a direct challenge to his authority. When we look at Roman code, Titus is actually justified in this killing. He makes sure that others are aware of this by announcing and referring to those codes.

Titus is a smart man in that he knows when to quit acting as a ruler and still claim all of the fame associated with being a ruler; a fine line, perhaps, but it is something he decides to do. When he declines the offer to be ruler, his reason is because of "age and feebleness" (I.i.240) and he states that he prefers "a staff of honour for [his] age, / But not a sceptre to control the world" (I.i.254-5). Here we see that the man is anything but naive. In short, he likes the status without all of the work. We should also realize that this gesture illustrates Titus' attempt to plead on behalf of those that suffer places him in a position that is far less vulnerable but still have in line to power. This is significant because it provides insight into Titus' character and what he considers important. Titus does not think twice about giving what he has to the powers that be. In fact, he gives practically all that is his to Saturninus. A virgin daughter and an empire are more than just people in this sense; they are representations of power. When he hands Lavinia over he refers to her as a "tribute" (1.1.251) and there can be no mistake that he is using his authority here to prove a point. Hamilton notes that Titus lacks humanity, as the rest of the characters in the play and though we expect the "tragic hero to win through to regeneration or revelation" (Hamilton 201), he never does. Pointing out that at the beginning of the play, "he raises his hand to bless Lavinia: at the end he raises his hand to kill her" (Hamilton 201). He points out that even at his death, there is no kind of reconciliation between the hero and anyone else. We can only agree with Webster, who claims Titus is "barbaric, lusty, bloodthirsty" (Webster 101). He may be a smart and loyal man but we do not find these characteristics admirable.

Hamlet and Titus are also men that are plagued and eventually ruined by revenge. Titus begins

Shakespeare's image of man is one that can be argued when we look at how the playwright conveys humanity. In Titus Andronicus, we see a man that is driven by very strong impulses and in Hamlet, we see a man that cannot make up his mind to save his life. While these portrayal of mankind might seem to contradictory, they are actually the result of an artist that took the time to study man ands realize that he is, above all things, a complex creature. When we look at Titus and Hamlet, we know that both men display a certain sense of loyalty. The key to understanding them is figuring out to what their loyalties lay. Both plays are driven by revenge in the most dreadful of ways.