Revenge At No Cost

Revenge At No Cost

Revenge has always been a part of life ever since early human civilization. It's almost an instinctive feeling you get to do harm in retaliation of what's been done to you. For example, even in present times if you were to take someone's parking space at a mall you might end up returning to your car only to find out the tires are slashed. Now depending on the kind of person you're dealing with, it might not be revengeful enough. In this case, dating back to 1594 in the Shakespeare novel "Titus Andronicus", revenge has been taken to a totally different level especially for it's time. Shakespeare revolutionized the concept of revenge in this story by putting in clever plots and strategies that seem unthinkable by any ordinary person. Two main characters, Tamora and Titus, give a perfect example of how revolutionary they take their revenge. In the following paragraphs, a full description will be given of how these characters handle their revenge and the extremities they will go to reach their satisfaction.

Act I -Line 450 "I'll find a day to massacre them all,

And race their faction and their family,

The cruel father and his traitorous sons,

To whom I sued for my dear son's life;

And make them know what 'tis to let a queen

Kneel in the streets and beg for grace in vain."

In reference to this excerpt, Tamora's character grows stronger as the story progresses. In the beginning, she was nothing but a prisoner of war along with her three sons. As former queen of the Goths, Tamora has a sense of value to Titus for she is not slain but, not much can be said for her son Alarbus who is slain and has all his limbs amputated. At this point an evil is born in Tamora as would any mother would feel having their son slain in front of them. Her state of mind is now for as long as she lives revenge will run through her veins to avenge her son's death. What makes Tamora's character so unique is that as much anger as she has in her heart, she patiently awaits a perfect opportunity to strike back at Titus. Working as a professional manipulator, she makes herself seem what she is not. For instance, the sexual power she has over the emperor gives her an advantage over anyone else. She has the ability to kill Titus nice and quick but she doesn't. Odd enough to be able to talk, see, and even befriend the person who murdered your child goes to show she is an artist in revenge. Anyone else with that same opportunity would go berserk and bust out in a rage but she handles the situation masterfully and with great patience. In a way she goes by the saying, "Keep your friends close but your enemies even closer."

Act III -Line 267 "Why, I have not another tear to shed;

Besides, this sorrow is an enemy,

And would usurp upon my wat'ry eyes,

And make them blind with tributary tears;

Then which way shall I find Revenge's Cave?

For those two heads do seem to speak to me,

And threat me I shall never come to bliss

Till all these mischiefs be returned again,

Even in their