Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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Enter Aaron, alone, carrying a bag of gold. AARON
He that had wit would think that I had none,
To bury so much gold under a tree
And never after to inherit it.
Let him that thinks of me so abjectly
Know that this gold must coin a stratagem 5
Which, cunningly effected, will beget
A very excellent piece of villainy. He hides the bag.
And so repose, sweet gold, for their unrest
That have their alms out of the Empress’ chest. | In the forest, Aaron hides a bag of gold under a tree. |
Enter Tamora alone to Aaron the Moor. TAMORA
My lovely Aaron, wherefore look’st thou sad, 10
When everything doth make a gleeful boast?
The birds chant melody on every bush,
The snakes lies rollèd in the cheerful sun,
The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind
And make a checkered shadow on the ground. 15
Under their sweet shade, Aaron, let us sit,
And whilst the babbling echo mocks the hounds,
Replying shrilly to the well-tuned horns,
As if a double hunt were heard at once,
Let us sit down and mark their yellowing noise. 20
And after conflict such as was supposed
The wand’ring prince and Dido once enjoyed
When with a happy storm they were surprised,
And curtained with a counsel-keeping cave,
We may, each wreathèd in the other’s arms, 25
Our pastimes done, possess a golden slumber,
Whiles hounds and horns and sweet melodious birds
Be unto us as is a nurse’s song
Of lullaby to bring her babe asleep. | Tamora enters and announces that she and Aaron should have sex while everyone else is busy hunting. |
AARON
Madam, though Venus govern your desires, 30
Saturn is dominator over mine.
What signifies my deadly standing eye,
My silence, and my cloudy melancholy,
My fleece of woolly hair that now uncurls
Even as an adder when she doth unroll 35
To do some fatal execution?
No, madam, these are no venereal signs.
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand,
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
Hark, Tamora, the empress of my soul, 40
Which never hopes more heaven than rests in thee,
This is the day of doom for Bassianus.
His Philomel must lose her tongue today,
Thy sons make pillage of her chastity
And wash their hands in Bassianus’ blood. 45 | Aaron blows her off and says he's not in the mood for love because he's got "vengeance" on his mind. He's way too busy preparing for Bassianus's murder and Lavinia's rape to think about anything else. |
He takes out a paper.
Seest thou this letter? Take it up, I pray thee,
And give the King this fatal-plotted scroll.
He hands her the paper. | Aaron gives Tamora a letter and tells her to give it to Saturninus. (We don't know what the letter says but it can't be a good thing.) |
Now, question me no more. We are espied.
Here comes a parcel of our hopeful booty,
Which dreads not yet their lives’ destruction. Enter Bassianus and Lavinia. TAMORA
Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life! AARON
No more, great empress. Bassianus comes.
Be cross with him, and I’ll go fetch thy sons
To back thy quarrels, whatsoe’er they be. He exits. | Aaron spots Bassianus and Lavinia and runs off to fetch Demetrius and Chiron. |
BASSIANUS
Who have we here? Rome’s royal empress, 55Unfurnished of her well-beseeming troop?
Or is it Dian, habited like her,
Who hath abandonèd her holy groves
To see the general hunting in this forest? TAMORA
Saucy controller of my private steps, 60
Had I the power that some say Dian had,
Thy temples should be planted presently
With horns, as was Acteon’s, and the hounds
Should drive upon thy new-transformèd limbs,
Unmannerly intruder as thou art. 65 LAVINIA
Under your patience, gentle empress,
’Tis thought you have a goodly gift in horning,
And to be doubted that your Moor and you
Are singled forth to try experiments.
Jove shield your husband from his hounds today! 70
’Tis pity they should take him for a stag. | Bassianus and Lavinia stroll up to Tamora and proceed to make snide remarks about Tamora being alone in the forest with a "barbarous Moor." |
BASSIANUS
Believe me, queen, your swarthy Cimmerian
Doth make your honor of his body’s hue,
Spotted, detested, and abominable.
Why are you sequestered from all your train, 75
Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed,
And wandered hither to an obscure plot,
Accompanied but with a barbarous Moor,
If foul desire had not conducted you? LAVINIA
And being intercepted in your sport, 80
Great reason that my noble lord be rated
For sauciness.—I pray you, let us hence,
And let her joy her raven-colored love.
This valley fits the purpose passing well. | Bassianus declares that Tamora's virtue is as "spotted, detested, and abominable" as Aaron's black skin color. (We talk about the play's portrayal of race in "Themes," so check that out if you want to know what this is all about.) |
BASSIANUS
The King my brother shall have notice of this. 85 LAVINIA
Ay, for these slips have made him noted long.
Good king to be so mightily abused! TAMORA
Why, I have patience to endure all this. Enter Chiron and Demetrius. DEMETRIUS
How now, dear sovereign and our gracious mother,
Why doth your Highness look so pale and wan? | Just as Bassianus threatens to expose Tamora for sleeping with Aaron, Chiron and Demetrius show up. |
TAMORA
Have I not reason, think you, to look pale?
These two have ticed me hither to this place,
A barren, detested vale you see it is;
The trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean,
Overcome with moss and baleful mistletoe. 95
Here never shines the sun, here nothing breeds,
Unless the nightly owl or fatal raven.
And when they showed me this abhorrèd pit,
They told me, here at dead time of the night
A thousand fiends, a thousand hissing snakes, 100
Ten thousand swelling toads, as many urchins,
Would make such fearful and confusèd cries
As any mortal body hearing it
Should straight fall mad, or else die suddenly.
No sooner had they told this hellish tale 105
But straight they told me they would bind me here
Unto the body of a dismal yew
And leave me to this miserable death.
And then they called me foul adulteress,
Lascivious Goth, and all the bitterest terms 110
That ever ear did hear to such effect.
And had you not by wondrous fortune come,
This vengeance on me had they executed.
Revenge it as you love your mother’s life,
Or be you not henceforth called my children. 115 | Tamora lies and says Bassianus and Lavinia lured her into the woods, threatened to tie her up to a tree, and called her names like "foul adulteress." Tamora then orders her sons to "revenge" this injustice and prove their loyalty to their mother. |
DEMETRIUS, drawing his dagger
This is a witness that I am thy son. CHIRON, drawing his dagger
And this for me, struck home to show my strength. They stab Bassianus. | Demetrius and Chiron stab Bassianus. |
LAVINIA
Ay, come, Semiramis, nay, barbarous Tamora,
For no name fits thy nature but thy own! TAMORA
Give me the poniard! You shall know, my boys, 120
Your mother’s hand shall right your mother’s wrong. | When Lavinia calls Tamora "barbarous," Tamora tries to stab her in the guts. |
DEMETRIUS
Stay, madam, here is more belongs to her.
First thrash the corn, then after burn the straw.
This minion stood upon her chastity,
Upon her nuptial vow, her loyalty, 125
And with that painted hope braves your mightiness;
And shall she carry this unto her grave? | Demetrius says "first thrash the corn, then after burn the straw," meaning, first they're going to rape Lavinia, and then they'll kill her. |
CHIRON
And if she do, I would I were an eunuch!
Drag hence her husband to some secret hole,
And make his dead trunk pillow to our lust. 130 | Chiron suggests they rape Lavinia on top of her husband's dead body. |
TAMORA
But when you have the honey you desire,
Let not this wasp outlive, us both to sting. | Tamora says that's fine, just as long as Lavinia can't tell on them afterwards (meaning, they should kill her when they're done with her). |
CHIRON
I warrant you, madam, we will make that sure.—
Come, mistress, now perforce we will enjoy
That nice-preservèd honesty of yours. 135 LAVINIA
O Tamora, thou bearest a woman’s face— TAMORA
I will not hear her speak. Away with her. LAVINIA
Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word. DEMETRIUS, to Tamora
Listen, fair madam. Let it be your glory
To see her tears, but be your heart to them 140
As unrelenting flint to drops of rain. LAVINIA
When did the tiger’s young ones teach the dam?
O, do not learn her wrath; she taught it thee.
The milk thou suck’st from her did turn to marble.
Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny. 145
Yet every mother breeds not sons alike.
To Chiron. Do thou entreat her show a woman’s pity. | Lavinia begs Tamora to "show a woman's pity," but Tamora refuses to show mercy. |
CHIRON
What, wouldst thou have me prove myself a bastard? LAVINIA
’Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark.
Yet have I heard—O, could I find it now!— 150
The lion, moved with pity, did endure
To have his princely paws pared all away.
Some say that ravens foster forlorn children,
The whilst their own birds famish in their nests.
O, be to me, though thy hard heart say no, 155
Nothing so kind, but something pitiful. TAMORA
I know not what it 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. 160 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. 165
Therefore away with her, and use her as you will;
The worse to her, the better loved of me. 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; 170
Poor I was slain when Bassianus died. TAMORA
What begg’st thou, then? Fond woman, let me go! LAVINIA
’Tis present death I beg, and one thing more
That womanhood denies my tongue to tell.
O, keep me from their worse-than-killing lust, 175
And tumble 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.
No, let them satisfy their lust on thee. 180
DEMETRIUS, to Lavinia
Away, for thou hast stayed us here too long! LAVINIA, to Tamora
No grace, no womanhood? Ah, beastly creature,
The blot and enemy to our general name,
Confusion fall— CHIRON
Nay, then, I’ll stop your mouth.—Bring thou her 185
husband.
This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him. They put Bassianus’ body in the pit and
exit, carrying off Lavinia. | After some more bickering, Demetrius and Chiron throw Bassianus's dead body into a pit and drag Lavinia off to rape her. |
TAMORA
Farewell, my sons. See that you make her sure.
Ne’er let my heart know merry cheer indeed
Till all the Andronici be made away. 190
Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor,
And let my spleenful sons this trull deflower. She exits. | Tamora coldly says something like "Ta, ta, boys – I'm off to have sex with my secret boyfriend." (We're not kidding.) |
Enter Aaron with two of Titus’ sons,
Quintus and Martius. AARON
Come on, my lords, the better foot before.
Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit
Where I espied the panther fast asleep. 195 | Meanwhile Aaron lures Quintus and Martius to the pit where Bassianus's dead body has been dumped. |
QUINTUS
My sight is very dull, whate’er it bodes. MARTIUS
And mine, I promise you. Were it not for shame,
Well could I leave our sport to sleep awhile. He falls into the pit. QUINTUS
What, art thou fallen? What subtle hole is this,
Whose mouth is covered with rude-growing briers 200
Upon whose leaves are drops of new-shed blood
As fresh as morning dew distilled on flowers?
A very fatal place it seems to me.
Speak, brother! Hast thou hurt thee with the fall? MARTIUS
O, brother, with the dismal’st object hurt 205
That ever eye with sight made heart lament! | Not seeing the giant hole in the ground (it's covered with branches and leaves), Martius falls in and lands next to Bassianus's bloody body.
|
AARON, aside
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. He exits. | Aaron runs off into the woods to get Saturninus. |
MARTIUS
Why dost not comfort me and help me out 210
From this unhallowed and bloodstainèd hole? QUINTUS
I am surprisèd with an uncouth fear.
A chilling sweat o’erruns my trembling joints.
My heart suspects more than mine eye can see. MARTIUS
To prove thou hast a true-divining heart, 215
Aaron and thou look down into this den
And see a fearful sight of blood and death. QUINTUS
Aaron is gone, and my compassionate heart
Will not permit mine eyes once to behold
The thing whereat it trembles by surmise. 220
O, tell me who it is, for ne’er till now
Was I a child to fear I know not what. MARTIUS
Lord Bassianus lies berayed in blood,
All on a heap, like to a slaughtered lamb,
In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit. 225 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 this hole,
Which like a taper in some monument
Doth shine upon the dead man’s earthy cheeks 230
And shows the ragged entrails of this pit.
So pale did shine the moon on Pyramus
When he by night lay bathed in maiden blood.
O, brother, help me with thy fainting hand—
If fear hath made thee faint as me it hath— 235
Out of this fell devouring receptacle,
As hateful as Cocytus’ misty mouth. | Martius describes the "dark, blood-drinking pit," and Quintus calls it a "swallowing womb." (Psst. Go to "Symbolism, Imagery, and Allegory" if you want to know what we think about this. But come right back.) |
QUINTUS, reaching into the pit
Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out,
Or, wanting strength to do thee so much good,
I may be plucked into the swallowing womb 240
Of this deep pit, poor Bassianus’ grave.
He pulls Martius’ hand.
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. 245
Thou canst not come to me. I come to thee. He falls in. | While he's trying to help his brother out of the "blood-stained hole," Quintus falls in and they're both trapped. |
Enter the Emperor Saturninus, with Attendants,
and Aaron the Moor. SATURNINUS
Along with me! I’ll see what hole is here
And what he is that now is leapt into it.—
Say, who art thou that lately didst descend
Into this gaping hollow of the earth? 250 MARTIUS
The unhappy sons of old Andronicus,
Brought hither in a most unlucky hour
To find thy brother Bassianus dead. | Then Aaron shows up with Saturninus. |
SATURNINUS
My brother dead! I know thou dost but jest.
He and his lady both are at the lodge 255
Upon the north side of this pleasant chase.
’Tis not an hour since I left them there. MARTIUS
We know not where you left them all alive,
But, out alas, here have we found him dead. | Saturninus is horrified to learn that his brother, Bassianus, is lying in a bloody heap inside the pit. |
Enter Tamora, Titus Andronicus, and Lucius. TAMORA Where is my lord the King? 260 SATURNINUS
Here, Tamora, though grieved with killing grief. TAMORA
Where is thy brother Bassianus? SATURNINUS
Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound.
Poor Bassianus here lies murderèd. | Just then, Tamora, Titus, and Lucius arrive. Tamora asks where Bassianus is. Uh... Saturninus gives it to her straight. |
TAMORA
Then all too late I bring this fatal writ, 265
The complot of this timeless tragedy,
And wonder greatly that man’s face can fold
In pleasing smiles such murderous tyranny. She giveth Saturnine a letter. SATURNINUS (reads the letter):
An if we miss to meet him handsomely,
Sweet huntsman—Bassianus ’tis we mean— 270
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 tree
Which overshades the mouth of that same pit
Where we decreed to bury Bassianus. 275
Do this, and purchase 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 should have murdered Bassianus here. 280 | Tamora whips out a letter (remember the letter Aaron gave her earlier in the scene?). The letter is forged to look like Quintus and Martius paid a woodsman to kill Bassianus and dump him in the pit. |
AARON
My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold. | On cue, Aaron lifts up the bag of gold he buried earlier and is all "Ah ha! Here's the blood money!"
|
SATURNINUS, to Titus
Two of thy whelps, fell curs of bloody kind,
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 285
Some never-heard-of torturing pain for them. TAMORA
What, are they in this pit? O wondrous thing!
How easily murder is discoverèd. Attendants pull Quintus, Martius, and
the body of Bassianus from the pit. | Saturninus orders Quintus and Martius to prison. (Hmm. Now that Bassianus is dead, Saturninus is suddenly feeling a sense of brotherly love?) |
TITUS, kneeling
High Emperor, upon my feeble knee
I beg this boon with tears not lightly shed, 290
That this fell fault of my accursèd sons—
Accursèd if the faults be proved in them— SATURNINUS
If it be proved! You see it is apparent.
Who found this letter? Tamora, was it you? TAMORA
Andronicus himself did take it up. 295 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 suspicion with their lives. | Titus begs Saturninus to be merciful and asks if he can post bail for his sons. |
SATURNINUS
Thou shalt not bail them. See thou follow me.— 300
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. | Saturninus refuses to release Quintus and Martius and declares that their guilt is obvious. |
TAMORA
Andronicus, I will entreat the King. 305
Fear not thy sons; they shall do well enough. TITUS, rising
Come, Lucius, come. Stay not to talk with them. They exit, with Attendants leading Martius and
Quintus and bearing the body of Bassianus. | Tamora sweetly tells Titus not to worry – she'll talk to Saturninus for him.
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