Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was a poet, playwright, and actor who is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers in the history of the English language. Often referred to as the Bard of Avon, Shakespeare's vast body of work includes comedic, tragic, and historical plays; poems; and 154 sonnets. His dramatic works have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Jonathan Bate is a professor of Shakespeare and Renaissance literature at the University of Warwick. Widely known as a critic, award-winning biographer, and broadcaster, Bate is the author of several books on Shakespeare. He is also the principal editor of the Modern Library’s and Royal Shakespeare Company’s highly acclaimed William Shakespeare: Complete Works.

Eric Rasmussen, a professor of English at the University of Nevada, is one of today's leading textual experts on Shakespeare.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Titus Andronicus & Timon of Athens

By William Shakespeare

Modern Library

Copyright © 2011 William Shakespeare
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780812969351
Titus Andronicus

Act 1 Scene 1 running scene 1

Flourish. Enter the Tribunes and Senators, aloft. And then enter Saturninus and his followers at one door [below], and Bassianus and his followers at the other, with Drum and Colours

SATURNINUS Noble patricians, patrons of my right,

Defend the justice of my cause with arms.

And countrymen, my loving followers,

Plead my successive title with your swords.

I was the first-born son that was the last

That wore the imperial diadem of Rome:

Then let my father's honours live in me,

Nor wrong mine age with this indignity.

BASSIANUS Romans, friends, followers, favourers of my right,

If ever Bassianus, Caesar's son,

Were gracious in the eyes of royal Rome,

Keep then this passage to the Capitol,

And suffer not dishonour to approach

Th'imperial seat, to virtue consecrate,

To justice, continence and nobility:

But let desert in pure election shine,

And, Romans, fight for freedom in your choice.

Enter Marcus Andronicus, aloft, with the crown

MARCUS Princes, that strive by factions and by friends

Ambitiously for rule and empery,

Know that the people of Rome, for whom we stand

A special party, have by common voice

In election for the Roman empery,

Chosen Andronicus, surnamèd Pius

For many good and great deserts to Rome:

A nobler man, a braver warrior,

Lives not this day within the city walls.

He by the senate is accited home

From weary wars against the barbarous Goths,

That with his sons, a terror to our foes,

Hath yoked a nation strong, trained up in arms.

Ten years are spent since first he undertook

This cause of Rome and chastisèd with arms

Our enemies' pride: five times he hath returned

Bleeding to Rome, bearing his valiant sons

In coffins from the field,

And now at last, laden with horror's spoils,

Returns the good Andronicus to Rome,

Renownèd Titus, flourishing in arms.

Let us entreat, by honour of his name,

Whom worthily you would have now succeed,

And in the Capitol and senate's right,

Whom you pretend to honour and adore,

That you withdraw you and abate your strength,

Dismiss your followers and, as suitors should,

Plead your deserts in peace and humbleness.

SATURNINUS How fair the tribune speaks to calm my thoughts!

BASSIANUS Marcus Andronicus, so I do affy

In thy uprightness and integrity,

And so I love and honour thee and thine,

Thy noble brother Titus and his sons,

And her to whom my thoughts are humbled all,

Gracious Lavinia, Rome's rich ornament,

That I will here dismiss my loving friends,

And to my fortunes and the people's favour

Commit my cause in balance to be weighed.

Exeunt [his] Soldiers

SATURNINUS Friends, that have been thus forward in my right,

I thank you all and here dismiss you all,

And to the love and favour of my country

Commit myself, my person and the cause.

[Exeunt his Soldiers]

Rome, be as just and gracious unto me

As I am confident and kind to thee.

Open the gates and let me in.

BASSIANUS Tribunes, and me, a poor competitor.

Flourish. They [Saturninus and Bassianus] go up into the senate house. Enter a Captain

CAPTAIN Romans, make way: the good Andronicus,

Patron of virtue, Rome's best champion,

Successful in the battles that he fights,

With honour and with fortune is returned

From whence he circumscribèd with his sword

And brought to yoke, the enemies of Rome.

Sound drums and trumpets, and then enter two of Titus' sons [Martius and Mutius]. After them, two men bearing a coffin covered with black, then two other sons [Lucius and Quintus]. After them, Titus Andronicus, and then Tamora, Queen of Goths, and her two sons Chiron and Demetrius, with Aaron the Moor and others, as many as can be. They set down the coffin and Titus speaks

TITUS Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning weeds!

Lo, as the bark that hath discharged his freight

Returns with precious lading to the bay

From whence at first she weighed her anchorage,

Cometh Andronicus, bound with laurel boughs,

To resalute his country with his tears,

Tears of true joy for his return to Rome.

Thou great defender of this Capitol,

Stand gracious to the rites that we intend.

Romans, of five and twenty valiant sons,

Half of the number that King Priam had,

Behold the poor remains, alive and dead!

These that survive, let Rome reward with love:

These that I bring unto their latest home,

With burial amongst their ancestors.

Here Goths have given me leave to sheathe my sword.

Titus, unkind and careless of thine own,

Why suffer'st thou thy sons unburied yet

To hover on the dreadful shore of Styx?

Make way to lay them by their brethren.

They open the tomb

There greet in silence, as the dead are wont,

And sleep in peace, slain in your country's wars.

O sacred receptacle of my joys,

Sweet cell of virtue and nobility,

How many sons of mine hast thou in store,

That thou wilt never render to me more!

LUCIUS Give us the proudest prisoner of the Goths,

That we may hew his limbs, and on a pile

Ad manus fratrum sacrifice his flesh

Before this earthly prison of their bones,

That so the shadows be not unappeased,

Nor we disturbed with prodigies on earth.

TITUS I give him you, the noblest that survives,

The eldest son of this distressèd queen.

TAMORA Stay, Roman brethren, gracious conqueror, ØKneelsØ

Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed,

A mother's tears in passion for her son:

And if thy sons were ever dear to thee,

O, think my sons to be as dear to me.

Sufficeth not that we are brought to Rome

To beautify thy triumphs and return,

Captive to thee and to thy Roman yoke?

But must my sons be slaughtered in the streets

For valiant doings in their country's cause?

O, if to fight for king and commonweal

Were piety in thine, it is in these.

Andronicus, stain not thy tomb with blood.

Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods?

Draw near them then in being merciful:

Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge.

Thrice-noble Titus, spare my first-born son.

TITUS Patient yourself, madam, and pardon me.

These are the brethren whom you Goths beheld

Alive and dead, and for their brethren slain

Religiously they ask a sacrifice:

To this your son is marked, and die he must,

To appease their groaning shadows that are gone.

LUCIUS Away with him, and make a fire straight,

And with our swords, upon a pile of wood,

Let's hew his limbs till they be clean consumed.

Exeunt Sons [Lucius, Quintus,

Martius and Mutius] with Alarbus

TAMORA O cruel, irreligious piety! Rises

CHIRON Was ever Scythia half so barbarous?

DEMETRIUS Oppose not Scythia to ambitious Rome.

Alarbus goes to rest and we survive

To tremble under Titus' threat'ning looks.

Then, madam,...