Titus Andronicus

Essay by shokUniversity, Bachelor'sB+, March 2004

download word file, 5 pages 4.0

Shakespeare's works have been used countless times as reproductions and influence for films or theatrical productions. Instances of this are 'Romeo and Juliet's' contemporary reproduction in Quentin Tarantino's film to the revival of 'Taming Of The Shrew' as the film '10 Things I Hate About You,' Shakespeare's works have been used countless times as reproductions and influence for films or theatrical productions. The plot and discourse of Shakespearian texts have in some cases remained unchanged, and in others used as inspiration or as metaphor.

Aside from the sections of the texts which are highlighted in reproductions, there are several dramatic functions which can be changed to enhance the effect of a production by heightening the audience's understanding of it. These functions include changing geographical and historical contexts. For example, in Romeo and Juliet the time is uncertain, and this has been used effectively to make the text relevant for different audiences.

Shakespeare once considered 'old hat' by young audiences suddenly came alive for them. Titus Andronicus, while a powerful text, has been referred to as Shakespeare's worst play. However, the play was quite successful in its era. This fact, along with the disjointed nature of the play has led to speculation that the text as seen today has pages, or even whole acts missing from it. Despite this, the themes and ideas of the play are still identifiable. Some pivotal concepts that could be emphasized for a contemporary audience are: tragedy and revenge, violence and rape, silence and the destruction of communication.

Shakespeare wrote this play around 1590 when history plays were a popular tradition. Historically this was a time of political uncertainty in England when the nation was preoccupied with the possibility of the spread of wars abroad and civil unrest regarding their monarchy, so rulers and society are...