mjones14's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed the horror aspects of this - whilst it is a bit complicated at times, you're kinda there for the gore. It's a cross between othello, romeo & Juliet, and saw
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Gore, Grief, Blood, and Colonisation
Minor: Racism and Slavery
lifeasabookbutterfly's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
so deranged???? so insane but might be up there in my top 3 Shakespeare plays???
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Gore, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Death, Rape, Death of parent, Blood, Sexual harassment, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
addyruth17's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Sexual assault
carrieclothwright's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
This is horrific, zero points Will.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Racism, Torture, Death, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Murder
This play is a bunch of people killing and maiming and raping each other. I'm surprised there's anyone left at the end. Skip it; not even the language makes this one worth it. CW: rapeSpoiler
One of the women is raped by two men, then her hands cut off and her tongue cut out so that she cannot indicate who perpetrated the violence. One of the characters is black, and I know times were different etc etc but there are multiple references to the blackness of his skin equating to the blackness of his soul, and just.... no.sophia_ryann's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Murder, Death, Kidnapping, Body horror, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Blood
malenesp's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Murder, Sexual violence, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Racism
kingcrookback's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This isn't my first time reading Titus Andronicus, but somehow the level of violence was still a bit shocking. Between the violence and the racism, this is one of Shakespeare's most difficult plays, though it's very much in the vein of revenge tragedies of the time. There are also some very interesting and complex details to be found here. Unlike Shakespeare's other Roman plays, Titus's story is fictional, not historical, but it's fascinating to see how Shakespeare drew from the Renaissance humanist education that many boys would have received in England at the time. The myth of Philomela, as told by Ovid, exerts significant influence on the play and raises some intriguing questions about women's behavior in patriarchal societies (for example, how lateral aggression between women upholds a patriarchal value system that exerts control over women). The play also sets up juxtapositions between supposed opposites that actually turn out to exhibit significant similarities--Romans vs. Goths, legitimate vs. illegitimate behavior, etc.--which brings to light the instability of concepts such as normality, propriety, and morality as social constructs and thus arbitrary. The aggressive anti-Black racism around Aaron's whole character is...upsetting, to say the very least. And even though one can argue that his villainy is in service of directing attention to the inhumane treatment he's faced, the fact remains that his character affirms anti-Black sentiments within and without the play. There may be some merit to him, but Othello he is not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Gore, Racism, Rape, Blood, Sexual violence, and Cannibalism
Moderate: War
Minor: Xenophobia
unrealpunk's review
dark
1.75
I didn't know Shakespeare could be this bad
Wow, it's hard to believe this is really Shakespeare. You can definitely see some similar elements to the great tragedies in terms of plot and structure, but there is very little to recommend this play on its own merits. The bard's normally captivating language is mostly flat, with some lines that barely scan, especially toward the beginning and end of the play. Worse, the humanitarian spirit is also missing, and the way events play out brings the phrase "all edge and no point" to mind, especially the end. But the edgy violence is practically endearing compared to the anti-black racism, which is really extremely bad in a way that makes Othello look progressive. Anyone who wants to avoid very direct authentic 16th century anti-blackness should probably avoid this.
Supposedly this was one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, and I can definitely believe it; I wouldn't be surprised if it was his very first — a learning experience. You could compare the egregious racism in Titus to the egregious misogyny in Taming of the Shrew, another early play, and perhaps chalk it up to a juvenile ignorance soon to be outgrown; but even Taming of the Shrew is a showcase for Shakespeare's literary virtuosity, and by the time he had written other early plays, such as the Henry VI histories, he was a fully mature master. So give the guy credit for his rapid improvement, but as for the play itself, all but the completists should skip this one.
Wow, it's hard to believe this is really Shakespeare. You can definitely see some similar elements to the great tragedies in terms of plot and structure, but there is very little to recommend this play on its own merits. The bard's normally captivating language is mostly flat, with some lines that barely scan, especially toward the beginning and end of the play. Worse, the humanitarian spirit is also missing, and the way events play out brings the phrase "all edge and no point" to mind, especially the end. But the edgy violence is practically endearing compared to the anti-black racism, which is really extremely bad in a way that makes Othello look progressive. Anyone who wants to avoid very direct authentic 16th century anti-blackness should probably avoid this.
Supposedly this was one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, and I can definitely believe it; I wouldn't be surprised if it was his very first — a learning experience. You could compare the egregious racism in Titus to the egregious misogyny in Taming of the Shrew, another early play, and perhaps chalk it up to a juvenile ignorance soon to be outgrown; but even Taming of the Shrew is a showcase for Shakespeare's literary virtuosity, and by the time he had written other early plays, such as the Henry VI histories, he was a fully mature master. So give the guy credit for his rapid improvement, but as for the play itself, all but the completists should skip this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
matt315's review
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
contains the best shakespeare line, “villain, i have done thy mother”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Murder, Infidelity, Gore, Death, Kidnapping, Violence, Racism, and Misogyny