I can’t say I’m surprised at the dark ending Titus Andronicus treated me to, but that didn’t make it any less disturbing. Here at the end, we have a very poor attempt at subterfuge, the most unrepentant villain I have ever seen, and murders heaped upon murders. The act starts with Lucius hanging out withContinue reading “As bad as it gets”
Tag Archives: Tragedy
The Goths are coming!
The Andronici begin to get back on their feet here in Act IV. I’m all for death and misery in a tragedy, but I was starting to wonder what else could go wrong for Titus without actually killing him. Turns out the destruction of his family and the betrayal of the country he has servedContinue reading “The Goths are coming!”
Surely this is rock bottom
Titus Andronicus continues to decline through the third act. More hands come off and now we add some heads to boot. The Andronici find themselves in deepest mourning and yet, I have the feeling that things can still get worse. Act III is only two scenes and the first one is a doozy. The youngContinue reading “Surely this is rock bottom”
A dark turn
To be fair, I never expected a Shakespearean tragedy to be a barrel of laughs, but Act II of Titus Andronicus went places I was not expecting. I was not overly surprised that there was rape and murder, but I was thrown by the cruelty displayed by some of the characters and even though justContinue reading “A dark turn”
Two weddings and two funerals
Titus Andronicus starts off with a bang and gives us life, death, politics, and betrayal all in one big scene before the Capitol in Rome. The play opens with Saturninus and Bassianus, sons to the recently deceased emperor, arguing over who gets the throne now. Marcus Andronicus, brother to the titular Andronicus, says to waitContinue reading “Two weddings and two funerals”
Ready for a few laughs
I have finally completed the cycle of plays that starts with Henry VI Part One and ends with Richard III. There was a lot of action, a lot of killing, and even a smattering of comedy, but for the most part the stories were pretty heavy. The Henry trilogy was fun but a bit ofContinue reading “Ready for a few laughs”
Despair and die!
Well, Richard III sure ended on a wild note. I expected everyone to die in the end, but perhaps that kind of ending doesn’t show up until later in Bill’s career. That’s not to say there wasn’t a lot happening in Act V, however. There was fighting, cowardice, treason, and ghosts! All packed into aContinue reading “Despair and die!”
Watergate-upon-Thames
Our boy Richard has found himself in a spot of trouble in Act IV. His friends are dropping like flies and he can now call himself a child murderer (meaning he killed a child, not that he was a child who murdered). Richard has been crowned now, so he is indeed the king, but heContinue reading “Watergate-upon-Thames”
Tricky Dick
Boy, Richard is a lot of fun to hate. Act III shows him making backroom deals and maneuvering so that not only does he have an open path to the throne, it seems like a grateful populace is pushing it on him. I’ve never really used the word “dastardly” before, but it seems appropriate toContinue reading “Tricky Dick”
England is getting another boy king
Richard remains busy as he attempts to consolidate power through murder and mayhem. He appears to have a friend in the Duke of Buckingham now, and for the life of me, I don’t know how anyone trusts him. As was specifically pointed out in this act, even the citizens in London don’t think he’s aContinue reading “England is getting another boy king”
Hey, Shakespeare! 