4). Even the members of Titus' family who do not go mad, particularly Lucius, resolve to take a double role. Just as Tamora assumed a persona of compliance with the Romans, so does Lucius. Lucius enacts a kind of 'doubling' of Tamora, for as Tamora went to the Romans, Lucius decides to go to the Goths. National alliances mean nothing now for the avenging Andronicii, both father and sons: But now nor Lucius nor Lavinia lives

But in oblivion and hateful griefs.

If Lucius live, he will requite your wrongs;

And make proud Saturnine and his empress

Beg at the gates, like Tarquin and his queen.

Now will I to the Goths, and raise a power,

To be revenged on Rome and Saturnine" (III.1).

To be an avenger is thus to be like an actor, to play a part. But just like the avenger is an assumed role, so was the character's former social self. When taking up the role of avenger, within the character casts away his or her previous identity and plays whatever social role required of him or her to see vengeance done. Becoming an avenger in general highlights...

But because vengeance cannot be 'served warm' and the avenger must wait until the time is ripe, quite often the avenger is required to become a kind of social liar and wear a public face that stands in stark contrast to his or her private motivations and desires. For an avenger like Titus or Tamora, truthfulness and moral codes mean little in a society that has failed to protect their family's safety, thus they feel justified in taking barbaric, even primitive revenge against those who have wronged them.
Works Cited

Helms, Lorraine. "The High Roman Fashion': Sacrifice, Suicide, and the Shakespearean

Stage." PMLA. Vol. 107. No. 3. Special Topic: Performance. May, 1992. pp.

Sacks, Peter. "Where Words Prevail Not: Grief, Revenge, and Language in Kyd and Shakespeare." ELH. Vol. 49. No. 3. Autumn, 1982. pp. 576-601.

Shakespeare, William. "Titus Andronicus." Shakespeare Homepage. MIT. 21 Mar 2008 http://shakespeare.mit.edu/titus/titus.1.1.html