Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Is Titus a sympathetic figure, or does he get what he deserves? What about Tamora? Is there anything sympathetic about her character?
- When Marcus finds Lavinia raped and mutilated, why does he deliver his loooong speech describing what Lavinia looks like and why she'll never get to sing or play the lute again? Why doesn't he do something productive like, say, run for help or bandage her wounds?
- Is Titus Andronicus meant to be a serious play, or is it Shakespeare's way of making fun of the genre of "revenge tragedy"?
- Why is Aaron so intent on making the Andronicus family suffer? In other words, what motivates his actions?
- What do you think happens to Aaron's baby? Are we meant to think that the Romans kill the child (despite their promise to let him live in Act 5, Scene 3) or are we supposed to wonder if he will grow up and continue the cycle of revenge?
- How does Titus Andronicus compare to your favorite slasher film? Seriously – what kinds of conventions (like gratuitous violence) do they share?