Titus Andronicus Essay

Titus Andronicus and Imagery The imagery used within Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus is some of the most interesting presented, out of all his works, by using a unique juxtaposition of beautiful, vivid dialogue with the horrid acts committed by the characters, showing why this is widely considered the most violent Shakespearean work. While incorporating the motifs of nature and hunting as they pertain to the overarching theme of revenge, both the original text and the 1999 film Titus explore the relationship between violence and beauty. A prime example of the narrative relationship between beauty and violence explored within the work is seen in Act II Scene IV. In aftermath of Lavinia’s attack by Chiron and Demetrius, the scene shows Marcus finding Lavinia in the forest after her brutal rape and

In the film Lavinia’s hands are cut off and replaced with dry twigs and she is standing on a tree stump, further illustrating this comparison of Lavinia to a tree. The scene takes place in a barren, charred, swamp-like portion of the forest isolated from the wooded area, which adds a sense of desolation. She is standing almost like a statue, a living symbol of violence, further illustrating how this assault attempts to dehumanize her. Since the actress playing Lavinia, Laura Fraser, is so conventionally beautiful the contrast between beauty and violence is present as it is in the text. There is also a distinct absence of the color red until Marcus arrives and blood spills from Lavinia’s mouth, both heightening its visceral impact and incorporating Shakespeare’s use of red imagery in the original text. Another way the film uses color is the fact that Lavinia is in a white dress. White is often used to symbolize innocence or purity, and since blood and dirt ruin her dress this could symbolize her loss of innocence and the effect these events have had on her