Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus is a William Shakespeare tragedy that is marked by violence and littered with death. Throughout the play, well-defined heroes and villains plot the destruction of their oppositions, and most of the tragedy focuses on the revenge tactics of many of the characters. Tamora, Queen of the Goths turned Roman Empress, is one of the characters whose vindictiveness adds to the endless cycle of bloody vengeance that not only destroys her enemy’s family but also her own.

First meeting Tamora, she can be seen as a sympathetic figure, but further into the play, she reveals her true self. As Queen of the Goths, she has been captured by Titus Andronicus and paraded through the streets of Rome. When begging Titus to spare her eldest son’s life, Titus ignores her, insisting that Alarbus be sacrificed in order to "appease" his sons who died in battle. In this scene, she is the victimized caring mother, but soon after the death of Alarbus, Tamora turns hostile against the Andronici clan, vowing that she will “find a day to massacre them all / And raze their faction and their family, / The cruel father and his traitorous sons” (I.1.459-461). In “A Shakespeare Tale Whose Time Has Come,” Jonathan Bate quotes Julie Taymor, a director for the film Titus, regarding Tamora, in which she mentions that Tamora’s actions are “understandable from the start: she’s a wronged mother” (Bate). Tamora is indeed protective of her children, like any doting mother would be, but her fierceness is on another level as she sets out to do absolutely anything to avenge her son’s death. Unsurprisingly, Tamora is also a woman who loves violence. When her lover, Aaron, tells her that her “sons shall make pillage of [Lavinia's] chastity / And wash their hands in Bassianus’ blood,” she responds with glee, “Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life!” (II.3.44-51). In this scene, Tamora is consumed with barbarism, promiscuity, and a definitive lack of morals as she unsympathetically revels in another’s imminent suffering. As the woman with a likening to violence and out for revenge, she clearly exemplifies the antagonistic role of the tragedy.

Tamora seeks her revenge by first seeking power. When Saturninus, emperor of Rome, proposes to Tamora based solely on her attractive appearance, Tamora seizes the opportunity, saying she “will a handmaid be to his desires, / a loving nurse, a mother to his youth” if he makes her empress (I.1.338-339). There is no limit to how far Tamora will go in order to destroy Titus Andronicus, and here, she is willing to satisfy Saturninus sexually for her position of power. As the emperor’s wife, Tamora convinces Saturninus not to seek revenge on the Andronicus family. However, she is secretly harboring a grudge against Titus and tells Saturninus that they will pay their dues, and she will “make them know what ‘tis like to let a queen / Kneel in the streets and beg for grace in vain” (I.1.463-464). With her control of Saturninus, Tamora is able to coax him into doing what she believes will best carry out her revenge; in this case, it is to instill a sense of safety in Titus so he doesn’t expect the worst for his family. Despite her marriage to Saturninus, Tamora still continues her secret affair with Aaron, whom she persuades to help