tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5320095984047592998.post7107402089043196256..comments2023-08-17T06:19:33.381-07:00Comments on 365 days of shakespeare: Titus Andronicus Act 2, Scene 4365daysofshakespearehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779667211356021281noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5320095984047592998.post-56497101891974324522011-03-21T19:17:30.067-07:002011-03-21T19:17:30.067-07:00Well...a little more complicated questions here......Well...a little more complicated questions here...Awesome!<br /><br />As far as theatrical history, there have been both ways...blood and gore (in Shakespeare's day they would use goat's blood sometimes), and since then there have also been suggestive stagecraft, such as ribbons. <br /><br />It was shocking language then too, but characteristic of the time...it was cheered on by the masses, especially the groundlings.<br /><br />Tamora made no order to kill. In fact they did worse than killing her, which is what Tamora wanted. In Rome, its myth and folklore, the rape of a virgin was more horrific than death...almost like a curse, but it also shamed the father. The rape of your virgin daughter was the most shame a father could encounter...it was looked upon as a curse for the family that is not lifted, not released until ...well, you'll see. This is the best way I think I can describe it without going into a lot of explanatory detail.<br /><br />Marcus has a seemingly strange, out of place, long and poetic speech when he sees lavinia. I like to call it Marcus's dream sequence, though he is not dreaming. It is an amazing convention that Shakespeare used to draw extra attention to the gravity of the scene. This is the pivotal moment of the play...the point after which all decisions are based on the outcome of the previous scene, and Marcus has been chosen as our guide through the transition...what better than the eloquent, caring, and most humane brother and uncle. This is also part of the metaphoric struggle that I mentioned earlier. The poetry comes when the action grinds to a halt for a moment, and rightly so. This is brilliance.Samnoreply@blogger.com