"Vengeance is in my heart,

death in my hand,

Blood and revenge

are hammering in my head"

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Titus Andronicus was written by William Shakespeare circa 1590 (somewhere between 1588-93). It is thought to be Shakespeare’s first tragedy. A smash-hit of Shakespeare’s early career, it is a classic example of the revenge plays that were popular in the sixteenth century.

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A revenge play, set near the end of the Roman Empire, it centres around Titus, a (fictitious) Roman Army General and his feud with Tamora, Queen of the Goths. Set against the backdrop of a power struggle following the death of the Roman emperor, there follows a trail of intrigue, deception, betrayal and murder as Titus clings to his ancient codes of honour and the world around him changes.

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It is one of Shakespeare’s more violent works and draws from sources such as Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Seneca’s Thyestes.

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