Titus Andronicus

by William Shakespeare

"Titus Andronicus" by William Shakespeare is a tragedy believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593. After a victorious war campaign, Roman general Titus captures Tamora, Queen of the Goths, and sacrifices her son. When she becomes the new Roman empress, Tamora vows revenge against Titus and his family. What follows is a brutal cycle of vengeance involving murder, mutilation, and unspeakable violence. Considered Shakespeare's first tragedy, this bloody revenge play shocked audiences then and continues to disturb readers today.