Titus Adronicus

        In Titus Adronicus one aspect of the play that really catches my attention is how the characters interact with their children. Titus Adronicus, Tamora, and Aaron are all three different characters; characters with different characteristics but the one common trait between each of them is that the care for their offspring. Although we see how they care about their own children it is very obvious that they do not care about taking action on other characters children. The first interaction between a character and their offspring comes in act one, scene one when we see how Tamora gives a plea to Titus asking him not to sacrifice her eldest son. In her speech to Titus she says,  “Stay Roman brethren!- Gracious conqueror; Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed, a mother’s tears in passion for her son. And  if thy sons were ever dear to thee, O think my son to be as dear to me… but must my sons be slaughtered in the streets for valiant doings in their country’s cause?” (15). In this scene it is shown that Tamora cares deeply about her son, but cannot do anything to save him. In this same act we see how the characters in this play does not care about others offspring, or how they would feel about losing their child. After Titus orders Tamoras son to be sacrificed he says to her, “Patient yourself, madam, and pardon me. These are their brethren whom your Goths beheld alive and dead, and for their brethren slain religiously they ask a sacrifice. To this you son is marked, and ide he must, T’appease their groaning shadows are gone” (15). This speech shows that although Titus suffers the loss of his own sons he does not care about taking away someone elses.

        The next character that demonstrates how the characters in this play interact with their child is Aaron. Although Aaron is this cruel person who does not care what he does to others or who he kills, when his baby comes into the picture we see a different side to him. Instead of the cruel insensitive guy, we get a character who care about his son and does not mind sacracficing his own life as long as his son will be okay. We see Aarons plea in act five, scene one. Aaron asks Lucius to swear to him that his child shall survive. Aaron pleas to Lucius swearing on the God that Lucius believes in that he shall survive. To keep his son alive Aaron gives all the details of his crimes. Aaron reveals the parenthood of the child, the rapists of Lavinia, the murderers of Bassianus, his own trickery to get Titus's hand; finally, he takes credit for every act, saying, "And what not done, that thou hast cause to rue, / Wherein I has no stroke of mischief in it?" (171).

            In conclusion, we see how it does not matter the rank of the character, the evil of the character, or moral rights of the characters; in the end they all have one aspect in common. Each character would do anything they could to protect their children, but they would not think twice about hurting someone else’s child. I found this interesting because it had a great deal to do with the play, and the scenes that happened. All these characters no matter how heartless they may be all compare in the one way that they try to save their children if not anything else.