Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus is still regarded by many as a bad play of dubious authorship. Its adversaries have abhorred its apparently gratuitous violence and uneven verse. Since 1945, however, the play has increasingly been taken seriously in both the theatre and the study: the violence and cruelty it depicts were disconcertingly matched by the events of two world wars. Alan Hughes joins those critics who take the play seriously, arguing for its unity of theme and tone and its grim humour; this is the work of a brilliant stage craftsman, confident in his handling of space, movement, and verse. The critical account of the play's fortunes is integrated within a description of major modern productions. In addition Professor Hughes supplies a complete stage history and an appendix which explores how the play might have been performed at the Rose playhouse in London, which has recently been excavated.