Critical Analysis Paper

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Jennifer Henke

Professor Sutton

ENL 4322

19 May 1998

The So-called Cherished Lavinia

There are only two main women characters in the play Titus Andronicus: Tamora and Lavinia. The former is an outsider, considered cruel and evil. While Lavinia, the latter, is the very essence of perfect beauty, charm, and gentleness. In fact, Bassianus refers to Lavinia as “Rome’s rich ornament” (Shakespeare I. i. 52). Also, Chiron and Demetrius are so smitten with her that they decide to have their way with her and end up raping and dismembering her. However, those same attributes are the only things Lavinia is admired for. She is never respected for her intelligence or talents, and is never valued as a person. In Shakespeare’s play, Lavinia is a beloved mate, niece, and daughter, however she is not cherished as a person, but as an ornament.

Saturninus and Bassianus first desire Lavinia as a suitable wife. While Bassianus is the only one to love the person of Lavinia, his brother wants her only for superficial reasons. Saturninus states, “And for an onset, Titus, to advance / Thy name and honorable family / Lavinia will I make my empress” (Shakespeare I. i. 238-240). In other words, besides the fact that she is beautiful, Saturninus wants her because she is Titus’ daughter. Since Titus is a great war hero, marrying Lavinia will bring a lot of prestige to Saturninus’ reign. However, he does not win in attaining her for his bride, so instead marries Tamora. This provides further evidence that the emperor does not truly love Lavinia because she is quickly replaced.

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Besides being not really loved by Saturninus, Lavinia is not fully valued and appreciated by her uncle Marcus as well. While he does seem to care about his niece, Marcus’ affection seems to be more of a love for Lavinia as an object than as a person. Evidence for this comes from when he finds Lavinia bleeding in the woods. Marcus gives a very long (46 line) speech in which he mourns over the loss of Lavinia’s hands, saying “[Who] hath lopped and hewed and made thy body bare / Of her two branches, those sweet ornaments” (Shakespeare II. iv. 17-18). (Notice the word ornament again in reference to Lavinia.) While Marcus stands there in woods reciting this speech, Lavinia is left bleeding to death. He speaks about how horrible the situation is, but does nothing to help stop the bleeding or to seek medical attention for her. Marcus does not care that Lavinia is injured personally, but is more concerned that the family trophy has been damaged.

Like Saturinus and Marcus, Titus cares about his daughter Lavinia merely as a trophy. After Marcus has brought Lavinia home to her father, Titus mourns over what has happened to her. He says, “It was [sic] my dear, and he that wounded her / Hath hurt me more than had he killed me dead” (Shakespeare III. I. 91-92). Furthermore, the very first word of this quote is ‘it’, which is in reference to his daughter. He does not even address Lavinia as a person. Then, Titus does not ask his daughter if she is all right or helps to repair her wounds, but speaks only of his wounded pride. He shows no real concern for her, only care that something of his has been injured as if Lavinia was a personal object of Titus’.

Titus is not the only one guilty of treating Lavinia as an object. Saturninus and Marcus share the blame as well. Because no one except Bassianus truly loves Lavinia for herself, she remains

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to be a person of little value throughout the play. Towards end of the play, Titus kills his own daughter. Of course, he hardly has any choice in the matter, for there is little use in an ornament once it is broken.

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Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Titus Andronicus. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York:

Signet Classics, 1989.