HISTORICAL NOTICE

OF

TITUS ANDRONICUS.

This sanguinary and disgusting tragedy is still suffered to retain its place among the works of our author, although it is rejected by all the commentators and critics except Capell and Schlegel. The editors of the first folio edition however have included it in that volume, which implies that they considered the play as his production. George Meres enumerates it among his works in 1598, and this author was personally esteemed and consulted by our poet. It is now generally supposed that the present drama found admission into the original complete edition of Shakspeare's works only because he had written a few lines in it, assisted in its revisal, or produced it on the stage. A tradition to this effect is mentioned by Ravenscroft in the preface to his alteration of this tragedy, as acted at Drury Lane in 1687, where he says, 'I have been told by some anciently conversant with the stage, that it was not originally Shakspeare's, but was brought by a private author to be acted; and he gave only some master-touches to one or two of the principal parts.' The events of this drama are not of historical occurrence, but were probably borrowed from an old ballad on the same subject entered on the books of the Stationers' Company in 1593, about

¿HAK.

X.

8

which period it appears to have been written. Mr. Malone has marked with double inverted commas those passages, in which he supposes the hand of Shakspeare may be traced.

All the editors and critics,' remarks Dr. Johnson, ' agree in supposing this play spurious. I see no reason for differing from them; for the color of the style is wholly different from that of the other plays; and there is an attempt at regular versification, and artificial closes, not always inelegant, yet seldom pleasing. The barbarity of the spectacles, and the general massacre, which are here exhibited, can scarcely be conceived tolerable to any audience; yet we are told by Jonson, that they were not only borne, but praised. That Shakspeare wrote any part, though Theobald declares it incontestable, I see no reason for believing.'

ARGUMENT.

Titus Andronicus, a Roman general, in a successful campaign against the Goths, takes captive their queen Tamora with her three sons, and conveys them to Rome in triumph, where one of the youths is inhumanly sacrificed by the conqueror at the tomb of his children who had been slain in battle. Eager for revenge, the artful Tamora makes a favorable impression on the heart of the emperor Saturninus, and becomes the partner of his throne. By the contrivance of her two sons, and a Moorish paramour named Aaron, she procures the assassination of Bassianus, the emperor's brother; while his wife Lavinia, the daughter of Titus, is deprived of her tongue and hands by the Gothic princes, in order to prevent a discovery of the ill usage which she had previously sustained. Two sons of Titus shortly after suffer death for their supposed participation in the murder of Bassianus: the real perpetrators are at length discovered; and the enraged father, having decoyed the young men to his house, puts a period to their existence, and serves up their mangled relics to their mother in a banquet. The unfortunate Lavinia falls by the hand of her father, who afterwards sacrifices the empress to his fury, for which he is slain by Saturninus, who in his turn loses his crown and life by the sword of Lucius, the only surviving son of Titus, who procures a repeal of his banishment by means of a Gothic army, and is proclaimed emperor by the senate and people.

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PERSONS REPRESENTED.

SATURNINUS, Son to the late emperor of Rome, and afterwards declared emperor himself.

BASSIANUS, brother to Saturninus; in love with Lavinia. TITUS ANDRONICUS, a noble Roman, general against the Goths. MARCUS ANDRONICUS, tribune of the people; and brother to Titcs.

AARON, a Moor, beloved by Tamora.

CAPTAIN, TRIBUNE, MESSENGER, and CLOWN; Romans.

Goths and Romans.

TAMORA, queen of the Goths.

LAVINIA, daughter to Titus Andronicus.

NURSE, and a black Child.

Kinsmen of Titus, Senators, Tribunes, Officers, Soldiers,

and Attendants.

SCENE, Rome, and the country near it.