Titus Andronicus (The New Cambridge Shakespeare) [Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author), Alan Hughes (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 1994 | Series: The New Cambridge Shakespeare

A volume in The New Cambridge Shakespeare, newly edited to the meticulous standard for which this series has become known, this edition of Titus Andronicus includes an extensive introduction that leads the reader through the full spectrum of contemporary criticism of the play, major modern productions, and its performance history. Appendices explore how the play might have been performed at the Rose playhouse, which has been recently excavated, and how it could have been adapted for a touring company of fourteen men and boys.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The great strength of Hughes's edition is its attention to the theatrical aspects of the play, including an appendix showing how a small cast of fourteen could conceivably have performed it. His discussion of the play in performance is illuminating..." SEL

Book Description

Opponents of Titus Andronicus have abhorred its apparently gratuitous violence and uneven verse. Alan Hughes takes the play seriously, arguing for its unity of theme and its grim humour. His account of criticism and stage productions shows that Titus is the work of a brilliant stage craftsman.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521293723
• ISBN-13: 978-0521293723
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,470,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King's New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as "an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers." Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later under James I, called the King's Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare's plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revenge is a dish best served piping hot from the oven..., July 8, 2001

By 

C. Fletcher (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Titus Andronicus (The Pelican Shakespeare) (Paperback)

If you have a weak stomach, you may want to stay the hell away from this play. Just about every disgusting thing that could happen to a human being, both mentally and physically, happens in this early Shakespeare tragedy.

The pages run over with various forms of vile behavior. There's... dismemberment (just about every kind imaginable), torture, people being buried alive, betraying each other, fathers killing their own daughters and hacking off their own hands, and, most gruesomely, baking their enemies in meat pies and serving them to their next of kin on the dinner table.

The last scene alone is enough to make you go vegetarian or at least seriously considering eating another pot-pie ever again. This is a fairly simple revenge tale, but the words and images Shakespeare uses to tell the tale are often breathtaking. It's certainly not as resonant or as deeply drawn as many of his later works--Macbeth and Hamlet are two of my favorites--but there are some great moments here, even if murder, mayhem,... aren't your cup of tea.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is what violence is about, August 21, 2000

By 

Daniel A. Bergstein - See all my reviews

This review is from: Titus Andronicus (The Pelican Shakespeare) (Paperback)

I understand that this is one of Shakespeares least popular, however I found it to be fantastic. Though not for all tastes, this is a true study of human violence and it's effects. There are no heroes, nor any long classic monolouges, but rather a brutal and nearly comical display of revenge brought forth through many characters.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, January 12, 2004

By 

Bethanie Frank "book dreamer" (Coffeyville, KS United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Titus Andronicus (The Pelican Shakespeare) (Paperback)

Since this was Shakespeare's first tragedy - it's understandable how he could write something so utterly out of character for him. Everyone must find their own feet to stand on. I find that the college students I teach respond well to this particular piece. The violence, gore and blood keep our up-to-date students involved. They also seem to respond well to Aaron. They are amazed at the evilness and the twisted plot. I will continue to teach this in my classroom and think this version is just fine for the beginning Shakespeare student.