Titus Andronicus and the Violence of Tragedy

Titus Andronicus begins with the looming threat of a three-way civil war. Saturninus and Bassianus, the two sons of the recently deceased emperor, enter with separate appeals to their supporters. The first words of the play place Saturninus very much at the head of the aristocracy: “Noble patricians, patrons of my right, / Defend the justice of my cause with arms.”1 His claim to the throne relies on primogeniture. Bassianus, on the other hand, bases his on “desert in pure election” (1.1.16). He too is prepared to fight. The situation becomes even more complex when Marcus Andronicus arrives in his capacity as Tribune of the People:\ud Princes, that strive by factions and by friends\ud Ambitiously for rule and empery,\ud Know that the people of Rome, for whom we stand\ud A special party, have by common voice\ud In election for the Roman empery\ud Chosen Andronicus, surnamed Pius\ud For many good and great deserts to Rome.\ud \ud (1.1.18–24