Demetrius
So, now go tell, and if thy tongue can speak
Who ‘twas that cut thy tongue and ravished thee (Scene IV, line 2).
Chiron
Write down thine mind, bewray thy meaning so,
An if thy stumps will let thee play the scribe (Scene IV, line 4)
Demetrius
She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to wash,
And so let’s leave her to her silent walks (Scene IV, line 8)
The Andronicus play by Shakespeare appears to have extreme effects and dramatization in various scenes. In Act II, Scene IV focuses on Titus’ daughter Lavinia who after being abused is left in the wilderness only to be discovered by Marcus. The scene has several horrifying effects and dramatic issues that make it relevant in literature and theater studies.
The scene’s portrayal of Lavinia’s case appears to be very dramatic and horrifying which makes the audience relate to her experience and that of the father, Titus Andronicus. The scene begins with stage directions “Enter, Lavinia, her hands cut off and her tongue cut out, and ravished.” (Shakespeare & Waith, 45). The ravished portrayal of Lavinia shows extreme effects by using fake blood and stumps. The critics of the play have often claimed that it has extreme dramatic, and literal effects.
The effects are not only visible through the text on how Lavinia is raped, but also through the confessions of Chiron and Demetrius on what they had done to Lavinia. The two, Chiron and Demetrius explain to the audience their reasons for raping Lavinia and insulting her. The scene also shows the effects in Marcus’s moving speech upon finding her niece in the wilderness. Marcus uses poetic language to describe and argue the experience of Lavinia in the hands of Chiron and Demetrius. Therefore, there is an excess of language work in addition to the excess violence in the play as claimed by the critics.
An analysis of the play by Shakespeare shows that the use of dramatic effects and language work such as poetry helps in involving the audience in the scene. The play satisfies the literal and theatrical works in a professional way.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William & Waith, Eugene. M. Titus Andronicus. Clarendon Press, 1984. Print.
