I’m only on Act II and am already overwhelmed by murder, lust and revenge. I just stopped reading (again); this time where ‘Lavinia enters, her hands cut off, her tongue cut out, and ravished’.
Thoughts about how times change gave way to wondering, since it’s set in some mythical Roman time, whether it’s the Elizabethan equivalent of a horror movie.
(Later)
The DVD sleeve says “…numerous characters face a bloody and horrific death. Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy ….[has] passages of great poetry”. Well, yes. Somewhere in Act III I got hopeful that the killing was mostly over and we could concentrate on the poetry. It didn’t last though.
I did have plans to both read and watch plays I’m unfamiliar with, but don’t think I can face this one again, especially if there’s a lot of blood about, or if the scene in which Titus and brother carry the heads of his sons while Lavinia holds Titus’s cut off hand between her teeth is portrayed too graphically.
March 5, 2010 at 15:36 |
I’m very awed and impressed by your commitment to both watch and read the plays – if I manage to keep up with all the reading alone, I’ll feel very good at the end of this! Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch up on watching some film versions in April….
In any case, I agree with completely with you about Titus Andronicus. After reading it, I don’t really feel the need to rush out and watch it now. Phew.