Titus Andronicus & Timon of Athens

by William Shakespeare

  Nothing so kind, but something pitiful!156

  TAMORA I know not what it157 means.-- Away with her!

  LAVINIA O, let me teach thee for my father's sake, That gave thee life when well he might have slain thee.

  Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears.

  TAMORA Hadst thou in person ne'er offended me, Even for his sake am I pitiless.

  Remember, boys, I poured forth tears in vain

  To save your brother from the sacrifice,

  But fierce Andronicus would not relent.

  Therefore away with her and use166 her as you will: The worse to her, the better loved of me.

  Clings to Tamora

  LAVINIA O Tamora, be called a gentle queen, And with thine own hands kill me in this place,

  For 'tis not life that I have begged so long:

  Poor I was slain when Bassianus died.

  TAMORA What begg'st thou, then? Fond172 woman, let me go.

  LAVINIA 'Tis present173 death I beg, and one thing more That womanhood denies174 my tongue to tell: O, keep me from their worse-than-killing lust,

  And tumble176 me into some loathsome pit Where never man's eye may behold my body.

  Do this, and be a charitable murderer.

  TAMORA So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee.179

  No, let them satisfy their lust on thee.

  To Lavinia

  DEMETRIUS Away, for thou hast stayed181 us here too long.

  LAVINIA No grace? No womanhood? Ah, beastly creature, The blot and enemy to our general name,183

  Confusion184 fall--

  Grabs her

  CHIRON Nay, then I'll stop your mouth.--

  To Demetrius

  Bring thou her husband:

  This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him.

  [Demetrius throws Bassianus' body into the pit, he and Chiron then exeunt, dragging off Lavinia]

  TAMORA Farewell, my sons: see that you make her sure.187

  Ne'er let my heart know merry cheer indeed,

  Till all the Andronici be made away.189

  Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor,

  And let my spleenful sons this trull191 deflower.

  Exit

  Enter Aaron with two of Titus' sons [Quintus and Martius]

  AARON Come on, my lords, the better foot before:192

  Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit

  Where I espied the panther fast asleep.

  QUINTUS My sight is very dull195, whate'er it bodes.

  MARTIUS And mine, I promise you. Were it not for shame,

  Falls into the pit

  Well could I leave our sport to sleep awhile.

  QUINTUS What art thou fallen? What subtle198 hole is this, Whose mouth is covered with rude-growing199 briers Upon whose leaves are drops of new-shed blood

  As fresh as morning's dew distilled on flowers?

  A very fatal place it seems to me.

  Speak, brother, hast thou hurt thee with the fall?

  Martius speaks from below

  MARTIUS O brother, with the dismall'st object204 hurt That ever eye with sight made heart lament!

  Aside

  AARON Now will I fetch the king to find them here, That he thereby may have a likely guess

  How these were they that made away his brother.

  Exit Aaron

  MARTIUS Why dost not comfort me and help me out From this unhallowed210 and blood-stained hole?

  QUINTUS I am surprised with an uncouth211 fear, A chilling sweat o'er-runs my trembling joints:

  My heart suspects more than mine eye can see.

  MARTIUS To prove thou hast a true-divining heart, Aaron and thou look down into this den,

  And see a fearful sight of blood and death.

  QUINTUS Aaron is gone and my compassionate217 heart Will not permit mine eyes once to behold

  The thing whereat it trembles by surmise.219

  O, tell me how it is, for ne'er till now

  Was I a child to fear I know not what.

  MARTIUS Lord Bassianus lies embrewed222 here All on a heap223, like to the slaughtered lamb, In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit.

  QUINTUS If it be dark, how dost thou know 'tis he?

  MARTIUS Upon his bloody finger he doth wear A precious ring, that lightens all the hole,227

  Which like a taper in some monument228

  Doth shine upon the dead man's earthly229 cheeks And shows the ragged entrails of the pit:

  So pale did shine the moon on Pyramus231

  When he by night lay bathed in maiden blood.232

  O brother, help me with thy fainting hand --

  If fear hath made thee faint, as me it hath --

  Out of this fell235 devouring receptacle, As hateful as Cocytus236' misty mouth.

  Reaches into the pit

  QUINTUS Reach me thy hand that I may help thee out Or, wanting238 strength to do thee so much good, I may be plucked into the swallowing womb239

  Of this deep pit, poor Bassianus' grave.

  I have no strength to pluck thee to the brink.

  MARTIUS Nor I no strength to climb without thy help.

  QUINTUS Thy hand once more: I will not loose again Till thou art here aloft or I below.

  Thou canst not come to me: I come to thee.

  Both fall in

  Enter the Emperor, Aaron the Moor [and Attendants]

  SATURNINUS Along with me: I'll see what hole is here, And what he is that now is leapt into it.--

  Speaks into the pit

  Say who art thou that lately didst descend

  Into this gaping hollow of the earth?

  MARTIUS The unhappy son of old Andronicus, Brought hither in a most unlucky hour

  To find thy brother Bassianus dead.

  SATURNINUS My brother dead? I know thou dost but jest: He and his lady both are at the lodge

  Upon the north side of this pleasant chase.

  'Tis not an hour since I left him there.

  MARTIUS We know not where you left him all alive, But, out alas258, here have we found him dead.

  Enter Tamora [with Attendants,] Andronicus and Lucius

  TAMORA Where is my lord the king?

  SATURNINUS Here, Tamora, though gride260 with killing grief.

  TAMORA Where is thy brother Bassianus?

  SATURNINUS Now to the bottom dost thou search262 my wound: Poor Bassianus here lies murdered.

  TAMORA Then all too late I bring this fatal writ,264

  The complot of this timeless265 tragedy, And wonder greatly that man's face can fold266

  In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny.

  She giveth Saturnine a letter

  Saturninus reads the letter

  SATURNINUS 'An if we miss to meet him handsomely268

  Sweet huntsman -- Bassianus 'tis we mean --

  Do thou so much as dig the grave for him:

  Thou know'st our meaning. Look for thy reward

  Among the nettles at the elder tree272

  Which overshades the mouth of that same pit

  Where we decreed274 to bury Bassianus.

  Do this, and purchase275 us thy lasting friends.'

  O Tamora, was ever heard the like?

  This is the pit and this the elder tree.--

  Look, sirs, if you can find the huntsman out

  That should279 have murdered Bassianus here.

  Finds the bag

  AARON My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold.

  To Titus

  SATURNINUS Two of thy whelps, fell curs of bloody kind,281

  Have here bereft my brother of his life.--

  Sirs, drag them from the pit unto the prison:

  There let them bide until we have devised

  Some never-heard-of torturing pain for them.

  |Attendants may pull Quintus and Martius from the pit|

  TAMORA What, are they in this pit? O wondrous286 thing!

  How easily murder is discovered.

  Kneels

&
nbsp; TITUS High emperor, upon my feeble knee

  I beg this boon with tears not lightly shed,

  That this fell fault of my accursed sons,

  Accursed if the faults be proved in them--

  SATURNINUS If it be proved? You see it is apparent.292

  Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you?

  TAMORA Andronicus himself did take it up.

  TITUS I did, my lord. Yet let me be their bail, For by my father's reverend tomb I vow

  They shall be ready at your highness' will

  To answer their suspicion298 with their lives.

  SATURNINUS Thou shalt not bail them: see thou follow me.--

  |Titus rises|

  Some bring the murdered body, some the murderers:

  Let them not speak a word: the guilt is plain,

  For, by my soul, were there worse end than death,

  That end upon them should be executed.

  TAMORA Andronicus, I will entreat the king: Fear not305 thy sons, they shall do well enough.

  TITUS Come, Lucius, come. Stay not to talk with them.

  Exeunt

  [Act 2 Scene 4]

  running scene 3 continues

  Enter the Empress' sons [Demetrius and Chiron] with Lavinia, her hands cut off and her tongue cut out, and ravished

  DEMETRIUS So, now go tell, an if thy tongue can speak, Who 'twas that cut thy tongue and ravished thee.

  CHIRON Write down thy mind, bewray3 thy meaning so, An if thy stumps will let thee, play the scribe.

  DEMETRIUS See how with signs and tokens she can scrawl.5

  CHIRON Go home, call for sweet water6, wash thy hands.

  DEMETRIUS She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to wash, And so let's leave her to her silent walks.

  CHIRON An 'twere my cause9, I should go hang myself.

  DEMETRIUS If thou hadst hands to help thee knit10 the cord.

  Exeunt [Chiron and Demetrius]

  Wind horns. Enter Marcus from hunting to Lavinia

  Lavinia runs away

  MARCUS Who is this? My niece that flies away so fast!

  Lavinia turns back

  Cousin12, a word: where is your husband?

  If I do dream, would all my wealth would wake me;

  If I do wake, some planet strike14 me down That I may slumber in eternal sleep.

  Speak, gentle niece, what stern ungentle hands

  Have lopped and hewed and made thy body bare

  Of her two branches, those sweet ornaments,

  Whose circling shadows19 kings have sought to sleep in, And might not gain so great a happiness

  As half thy love? Why dost not speak to me?

  Lavinia opens her mouth

  Alas, a crimson river of warm blood,

  Like to a bubbling fountain stirred with wind,

  Doth rise and fall between thy rosed lips,

  Coming and going with thy honey breath.

  But sure some Tereus26 hath deflowered thee And, lest thou shouldst detect27 him, cut thy tongue.

  Ah, now thou turn'st away thy face for shame,

  And notwithstanding all this loss of blood,

  As from a conduit30 with three issuing spouts, Yet do thy cheeks look red as Titan's31 face Blushing to be encountered with a cloud.

  Shall I speak for thee? Shall I say 'tis so?

  O, that I knew thy heart, and knew the beast,

  That I might rail at35 him, to ease my mind.

  Sorrow concealed, like an oven stopped,36

  Doth burn the heart to cinders where it is.

  Fair Philomela, she but lost her tongue,

  And in a tedious sampler39 sewed her mind.

  But, lovely niece, that mean40 is cut from thee: A craftier Tereus hast thou met withal,

  And he hath cut those pretty fingers off,

  That could have better sewed than Philomel.

  O, had the monster seen those lily hands

  Tremble like aspen-leaves upon a lute

  And make the silken strings delight to kiss them,

  He would not then have touched them for his life.

  Or had he heard the heavenly harmony

  Which that sweet tongue hath made,

  He would have dropped his knife and fell asleep,

  As Cerberus at the Thracian poet's feet.51

  Come, let us go, and make thy father blind,

  For such a sight will blind a father's eye.

  One hour's storm will drown the fragrant meads:54

  What will whole months of tears thy father's eyes?

  Do not draw back, for we will mourn with thee.

  O, could our mourning ease thy misery!

  Exeunt

  Act 3 [Scene 1]

  running scene 4

  Enter the Judges and Senators with Titus' two sons [Martius and Quintus] bound, passing on the stage to the place of execution, and Titus going before, pleading

  TITUS Hear me, grave fathers!1 Noble tribunes, stay!

  For pity of mine age, whose youth was spent

  In dangerous wars whilst you securely slept,

  For all my blood in Rome's great quarrel4 shed, For all the frosty nights that I have watched,5

  And for these bitter tears which now you see

  Filling the aged wrinkles in my cheeks,

  Be pitiful to my condemned sons,

  Whose souls is not corrupted as 'tis thought.

  For two and twenty sons I never wept,

  Because they died in honour's lofty bed.

  Andronicus lieth down and the Judges pass by him

  For these, two tribunes, in the dust I write

  My heart's deep languor13 and my soul's sad tears: Let my tears stanch14 the earth's dry appetite, My sons' sweet blood will make it shame15 and blush.

  Exeunt. [Titus remains]

  O earth, I will befriend thee more with rain

  That shall distil from these two ancient ruins17

  Than youthful April shall with all his showers.

  In summer's drought I'll drop upon thee still:19

  In winter with warm tears I'll melt the snow

  And keep eternal springtime on thy face,

  So22 thou refuse to drink my dear sons' blood.

  Enter Lucius, with his weapon drawn

  O reverend tribunes, O gentle, aged men,

  Unbind my sons, reverse the doom24 of death, And let me say, that never wept before,

  My tears are now prevailing orators.26

  LUCIUS O noble father, you lament in vain: The tribunes hear you not, no man is by,

  And you recount your sorrows to a stone.

  TITUS Ah, Lucius, for thy brothers let me plead.

  Grave tribunes, once more I entreat of you--

  LUCIUS My gracious lord, no tribune hears you speak.

  TITUS Why, tis no matter, man: if they did hear, They would not mark34 me, or if they did mark, They would not pity me.

  Therefore I tell my sorrows bootless36 to the stones, Who, though they cannot answer my distress,

  Yet in some sort they are better than the tribunes

  For that they will not intercept39 my tale: When I do weep, they humbly at my feet

  Receive my tears and seem to weep with me,

  And were they but attired in grave weeds,42

  Rome could afford43 no tribune like to these.

  A stone is as soft wax, tribunes more hard than stones:

  A stone is silent, and offendeth not,

  And tribunes with their tongues doom men to death.

  Rises

  But wherefore stand'st thou with thy weapon drawn?

  LUCIUS To rescue my two brothers from their death, For which attempt the judges have pronounced

  My everlasting doom of banishment.

  TITUS O happy51 man, they have befriended thee.

  Why, foolish Lucius, dost thou not perceive

  That Rome is but a wilderness of tigers?

  Tigers must prey, and Rome affords no prey

  But me and mine: how h
appy art thou, then,

  From these devourers to be banished!

  But who comes with our brother Marcus here?

  Enter Marcus and Lavinia

  MARCUS Titus, prepare thy noble eyes to weep, Or if not so, thy noble heart to break:

  I bring consuming sorrow to thine age.

  TITUS Will it consume me? Let me see it then.

  MARCUS This was thy daughter.

  TITUS Why, Marcus, so she is.

  Falls to his knees

  LUCIUS Ay me, this object64 kills me.

  Lucius rises

  TITUS Faint-hearted boy, arise and look upon her.--

  Speak, Lavinia, what accursed hand

  Hath made thee handless in thy father's sight?

  What fool hath added water to the sea?

  Or brought a faggot to bright-burning Troy?

  My grief was at the height before thou cam'st,

  And now like Nilus it disdaineth71 bounds.

  Give me a sword, I'll chop off my hands too,

  For they have fought for Rome, and all in vain:

  And they have nursed this woe, in feeding life:74

  In bootless prayer have they been held up,

  And they have served me to effectless76 use: Now all the service I require of them

  Is that the one will help to cut the other.

  'Tis well, Lavinia, that thou hast no hands,

  For hands to do Rome service is but vain.

  LUCIUS Speak, gentle sister: who hath martyred81 thee?

  MARCUS O, that delightful engine82 of her thoughts That blabbed83 them with such pleasing eloquence, Is torn from forth that pretty hollow cage

  Where, like a sweet melodious bird, it sung

  Sweet varied notes, enchanting every ear!

  LUCIUS O, say thou for her: who hath done this deed?

  MARCUS O, thus I found her, straying in the park,88

  Seeking to hide herself, as doth the deer

  That hath received some unrecuring90 wound.

  TITUS It was my dear91, and he that wounded her Hath hurt me more than had he killed me dead,

  For now I stand as one upon a rock

  Environed94 with a wilderness of sea, Who marks the waxing95 tide grow wave by wave, Expecting ever when some envious96 surge Will in his brinish97 bowels swallow him.

  This way to death my wretched sons are gone:

  Here stands my other son, a banished man,

  And here my brother, weeping at my woes.

  But that which gives my soul the greatest spurn101

  Is dear Lavinia, dearer than my soul.

  Had I but seen thy picture in this plight,

  It would have madded me. What shall I do

  Now I behold thy lively105 body so?

  Thou hast no hands to wipe away thy tears,