Act II
Scene I
Rome. Before the palace.
Enter Aaron. | |
Aaron |
Now climbeth Tamora Olympus’ top,
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Enter Demetrius and Chiron, braving. | |
Demetrius |
Chiron, thy years want wit, thy wit wants edge,
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Chiron |
Demetrius, thou dost over-ween in all;
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Aaron | Aside. Clubs, clubs! these lovers will not keep the peace. |
Demetrius |
Why, boy, although our mother, unadvised,
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Chiron |
Meanwhile, sir, with the little skill I have,
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Demetrius | Ay, boy, grow ye so brave? They draw. |
Aaron |
Coming forward. Why, how now, lords!
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Demetrius |
Not I, till I have sheathed
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Chiron |
For that I am prepared and full resolved.
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Aaron |
Away, I say!
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Chiron |
I care not, I, knew she and all the world:
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Demetrius |
Youngling, learn thou to make some meaner choice:
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Aaron |
Why, are ye mad? or know ye not, in Rome
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Chiron |
Aaron, a thousand deaths
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Aaron | To achieve her! how? |
Demetrius |
Why makest thou it so strange?
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Aaron | Aside. Ay, and as good as Saturninus may. |
Demetrius |
Then why should he despair that knows to court it
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Aaron |
Why, then, it seems, some certain snatch or so
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Chiron | Ay, so the turn were served. |
Demetrius | Aaron, thou hast hit it. |
Aaron |
Would you had hit it too!
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Chiron | Faith, not me. |
Demetrius | Nor me, so I were one. |
Aaron |
For shame, be friends, and join for that you jar:
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Chiron | Thy counsel, lad, smells of no cowardice. |
Demetrius |
Sit fas aut nefas, till I find the stream
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Scene II
A forest near Rome. Horns and cry of hounds heard.
Enter Titus Andronicus, with Hunters, etc., Marcus, Lucius, Quintus, and Martius. | |
Titus |
The hunt is up, the morn is bright and grey,
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A cry of hounds, and horns winded in a peal. Enter Saturninus, Tamora, Bassianus, Lavinia, Demetrius, Chiron, and Attendants. | |
Many good morrows to your majesty;
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Saturninus |
And you have rung it lustily, my lord;
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Bassianus | Lavinia, how say you? |
Lavinia |
I say, no;
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Saturninus |
Come on, then; horse and chariots let us have,
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Marcus |
I have dogs, my lord,
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Titus |
And I have horse will follow where the game
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Demetrius |
Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor hound,
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Scene III
A lonely part of the forest.
Enter Aaron, with a bag of gold. | |
Aaron |
He that had wit would think that I had none,
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Enter Tamora. | |
Tamora |
My lovely Aaron, wherefore look’st thou sad,
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Aaron |
Madam, though Venus govern your desires,
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Tamora | Ah, my sweet Moor, sweeter to me than life! |
Aaron |
No more, great empress; Bassianus comes:
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Enter Bassianus and Lavinia. | |
Bassianus |
Who have we here? Rome’s royal empress,
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Tamora |
Saucy controller of our private steps!
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Lavinia |
Under your patience, gentle empress,
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Bassianus |
Believe me, queen, your swarth Cimmerian
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Lavinia |
And, being intercepted in your sport,
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Bassianus | The king my brother shall have note of this. |
Lavinia |
Ay, for these slips have made him noted long:
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Tamora | Why have I patience to endure all this? |
Enter Demetrius and Chiron. | |
Demetrius |
How now, dear sovereign, and our gracious mother!
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Tamora |
Have I not reason, think you, to look pale?
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Demetrius | This is a witness that I am thy son. Stabs Bassianus. |
Chiron | And this for me, struck home to show my strength. Also stabs Bassianus, who dies. |
Lavinia |
Ay, come, Semiramis, nay, barbarous Tamora,
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Tamora |
Give me thy poniard; you shall know, my boys,
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Demetrius |
Stay, madam; here is more belongs to her;
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Chiron |
An if she do, I would I were an eunuch.
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Tamora |
But when ye have the honey ye desire,
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Chiron |
I warrant you, madam, we wil l make that sure.
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Lavinia | O Tamora! thou bear’st a woman’s face— |
Tamora | I will not hear her speak; away with her! |
Lavinia | Sweet lords, entreat her hear me but a word. |
Demetrius |
Listen, fair madam: let it be your glory
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Lavinia |
When did the tiger’s young ones teach the dam?
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Chiron | What, wouldst thou have me prove myself a bastard? |
Lavinia |
’Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark:
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Tamora | I know not what it means; away with her! |
Lavinia |
O, let me teach thee! for my father’s sake,
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Tamora |
Hadst thou in person ne’er offended me,
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Lavinia |
O Tamora, be call’d a gentle queen,
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Tamora | What begg’st thou, then? fond woman, let me go. |
Lavinia |
’Tis present death I beg; and one thing more
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Tamora |
So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee:
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Demetrius | Away! for thou hast stay’d us here too long. |
Lavinia |
No grace? no womanhood? Ah, beastly creature!
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Chiron |
Nay, then I’ll stop your mouth. Bring thou her husband:
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Tamora |
Farewell, my sons: see that you make her sure.
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Re-enter Aaron, with Quintus and Martius. | |
Aaron |
Come on, my lords, the better foot before:
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Quintus | My sight is very dull, whate’er it bodes. |
Martius |
And mine, I promise you; were’t not for shame,
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Quintus |
What art thou fall’n? What subtle hole is this,
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Martius |
O brother, with the dismall’st object hurt
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Aaron |
Aside. Now will I fetch the king to find them here,
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Martius |
Why dost not comfort me, and help me out
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Quintus |
I am surprised with an uncouth fear:
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Martius |
To prove thou hast a true-divining heart,
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Quintus |
Aaron is gone; and my compassionate heart
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Martius |
Lord Bassianus lies embrewed here,
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Quintus | If it be dark, how dost thou know ’tis he? |
Martius |
Upon his bloody finger he doth wear
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Quintus |
Reach me thy hand, that I may help thee out;
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Martius | Nor I no strength to climb without thy help. |
Quintus |
Thy hand once more; I will not loose again,
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Enter Saturninus with Aaron. | |
Saturninus |
Along with me: I’ll see what hole is here,
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Martius |
The unhappy son of old Andronicus;
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Saturninus |
My brother dead! I know thou dost but jest:
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Martius |
We know not where you left him all alive;
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Re-enter Tamora, with Attendants; Titus Andronicus, and Lucius. | |
Tamora | Where is my lord the king? |
Saturninus | Here, Tamora, though grieved with killing grief. |
Tamora | Where is thy brother Bassianus? |
Saturninus |
Now to the bottom dost thou search my wound:
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Tamora |
Then all too late I bring this fatal writ,
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Saturninus |
O Tamora! was ever heard the like?
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Aaron | My gracious lord, here is the bag of gold. |
Saturninus |
To Titus. Two of thy whelps, fell curs of bloody kind,
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Tamora |
What, are they in this pit? O wondrous thing!
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Titus |
High emperor, upon my feeble knee
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Saturninus |
If it be proved! you see it is apparent.
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Tamora | Andronicus himself did take it up. |
Titus |
I did, my lord: yet let me be their bail;
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Saturninus |
Thou shalt not bail them: see thou follow me.
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Tamora |
Andronicus, I will entreat the king;
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Titus | Come, Lucius, come; stay not to talk with them. Exeunt. |
Scene IV
Another part of the forest.
Enter Demetrius and Chiron, with Lavinia, ravished; her hands cut off, and her tongue cut out. | |
Demetrius |
So, now go tell, an if thy tongue can speak,
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Chiron |
Write down thy mind, bewray thy meaning so,
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Demetrius | See, how with signs and tokens she can scrowl. |
Chiron | Go home, call for sweet water, wash thy hands. |
Demetrius |
She hath no tongue to call, nor hands to wash;
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Chiron | An ’twere my case, I should go hang myself. |
Demetrius | If thou hadst hands to help thee knit the cord. Exeunt Demetrius and Chiron. |
Enter Marcus. | |
Marcus |
Who is this? my niece, that flies away so fast!
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