Titus Andronicus

· Courier Dover Publications
5.0
1 review
Ebook
96
Pages
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More

About this ebook

A triumphant general returns to Rome from a war against the Goths and descends into a vicious circle of revenge by refusing to show mercy to his conquered enemy. Blood begets more blood in Titus Andronicus, a fictional drama drawn from a tale by Ovid. Shakespeare styled this early play in the manner of a "revenge tragedy," a genre rooted in classical theater and enormously successful with Elizabethan audiences. Enacting grotesque incidents of rape, murder, and mutilation, this daringly experimental play explores the nature of justice and vengeance.
Critical judgment of the drama ranges from dismissal as a panderer's concession to a bloodthirsty mob to praise as a skillful treatment of theatrical violence that examines suffering through the experience of art. Shakespeare's memorable tragedy questions whether revenge is ever justifiable, and its analysis of moral and political issues ― betrayal, familial loyalties, sexual violence, nationalism, racism―remains ever relevant.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
1 review

About the author

"He was not of an age, but for all time," declared Ben Jonson of his contemporary William Shakespeare (1564–1616). Jonson's praise is especially prescient, since at the turn of the 17th century Shakespeare was but one of many popular London playwrights and none of his dramas were printed in his lifetime. The reason so many of his works survive is because two of his actor friends, with the assistance of Jonson, assembled and published the First Folio edition of 1623.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.