Act V
Scene I
Plains near Rome.
Enter Lucius with an army of Goths, with drum and colours. | |
Lucius |
Approved warriors, and my faithful friends,
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First Goth |
Brave slip, sprung from the great Andronicus,
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All the Goths | And as he saith, so say we all with him. |
Lucius |
I humbly thank him, and I thank you all.
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Enter a Goth, leading Aaron with his Child in his arms. | |
Second Goth |
Renowned Lucius, from our troops I stray’d
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Lucius |
O worthy Goth, this is the incarnate devil
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Aaron | Touch not the boy; he is of royal blood. |
Lucius |
Too like the sire for ever being good.
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Aaron |
Lucius, save the child,
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Lucius |
Say on: an if it please me which thou speak’st,
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Aaron |
An if it please thee! why, assure thee, Lucius,
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Lucius | Tell on thy mind; I say thy child shall live. |
Aaron | Swear that he shall, and then I will begin. |
Lucius |
Who should I swear by? thou believest no god:
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Aaron |
What if I do not? as, indeed, I do not;
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Lucius | Even by my god I swear to thee I will. |
Aaron | First know thou, I begot him on the empress. |
Lucius | O most insatiate and luxurious woman! |
Aaron |
Tut, Lucius, this was but a deed of charity
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Lucius | O detestable villain! call’st thou that trimming? |
Aaron |
Why, she was wash’d and cut and trimm’d, and ’twas
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Lucius | O barbarous, beastly villains, like thyself! |
Aaron |
Indeed, I was their tutor to instruct them:
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First Goth | What, canst thou say all this, and never blush? |
Aaron | Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is. |
Lucius | Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds? |
Aaron |
Ay, that I had not done a thousand more.
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Lucius |
Bring down the devil; for he must not die
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Aaron |
If there be devils, would I were a devil,
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Lucius | Sirs, stop his mouth, and let him speak no more. |
Enter a Goth. | |
Third Goth |
My lord, there is a messenger from Rome
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Lucius | Let him come near. |
Enter Aemilius. | |
Welcome, Aemilius: what’s the news from Rome? | |
Aemilius |
Lord Lucius, and you princes of the Goths,
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First Goth | What says our general? |
Lucius |
Aemilius, let the emperor give his pledges
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Scene II
Rome. Before Titus’s house.
Enter Tamora, Demetrius, and Chiron, disguised. | |
Tamora |
Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment,
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Enter Titus, above. | |
Titus |
Who doth molest my contemplation?
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Tamora | Titus, I am come to talk with thee. |
Titus |
No, not a word; how can I grace my talk,
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Tamora | If thou didst know me, thou wouldest talk with me. |
Titus |
I am not mad; I know thee well enough:
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Tamora |
Know, thou sad man, I am not Tamora;
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Titus |
Art thou Revenge? and art thou sent to me,
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Tamora | I am; therefore come down, and welcome me. |
Titus |
Do me some service, ere I come to thee.
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Tamora | These are my ministers, and come with me. |
Titus | Are these thy ministers? what are they call’d? |
Tamora |
Rapine and Murder; therefore called so,
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Titus |
Good Lord, how like the empress’ sons they are!
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Tamora |
This closing with him fits his lunacy:
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Enter Titus below. | |
Titus |
Long have I been forlorn, and all for thee:
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Tamora | What wouldst thou have us do, Andronicus? |
Demetrius | Show me a murderer, I’ll deal with him. |
Chiron |
Show me a villain that hath done a rape,
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Tamora |
Show me a thousand that have done thee wrong,
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Titus |
Look round about the wicked streets of Rome;
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Tamora |
Well hast thou lesson’d us; this shall we do.
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Titus | Marcus, my brother! ’tis sad Titus calls. |
Enter Marcus. | |
Go, gentle Marcus, to thy nephew Lucius;
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Marcus | This will I do, and soon return again. Exit. |
Tamora |
Now will I hence about thy business,
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Titus |
Nay, nay, let Rape and Murder stay with me;
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Tamora |
Aside to her sons. What say you, boys? will you bide with him,
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Titus |
Aside. I know them all, though they suppose me mad,
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Demetrius | Madam, depart at pleasure; leave us here. |
Tamora |
Farewell, Andronicus: Revenge now goes
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Titus | I know thou dost; and, sweet Revenge, farewell. Exit Tamora. |
Chiron | Tell us, old man, how shall we be employ’d? |
Titus |
Tut, I have work enough for you to do.
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Enter Publius and others. | |
Publius | What is your will? |
Titus | Know you these two? |
Publius | The empress’ sons, I take them, Chiron and Demetrius. |
Titus |
Fie, Publius, fie! thou art too much deceived;
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Chiron | Villains, forbear! we are the empress’ sons. |
Publius |
And therefore do we what we are commanded.
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Re-enter Titus, with Lavinia; he bearing a knife, and she a basin. | |
Titus |
Come, come, Lavinia; look, thy foes are bound.
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Scene III
Court of Titus’s house. A banquet set out.
Enter Lucius, Marcus, and Goths, with Aaron prisoner. | |
Lucius |
Uncle Marcus, since it is my father’s mind
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First Goth | And ours with thine, befall what fortune will. |
Lucius |
Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor,
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Aaron |
Some devil whisper curses in mine ear,
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Lucius |
Away, inhuman dog! unhallow’d slave!
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Enter Saturninus and Tamora, with Aemilius, Tribunes, Senators, and others. | |
Saturninus | What, hath the firmament more suns than one? |
Lucius | What boots it thee to call thyself a sun? |
Marcus |
Rome’s emperor, and nephew, break the parle;
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Saturninus | Marcus, we will. Hautboys sound. The Company sit down at table. |
Enter Titus dressed like a Cook, Lavinia veiled, Young Lucius, and others. Titus places the dishes on the table. | |
Titus |
Welcome, my gracious lord; welcome, dread queen;
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Saturninus | Why art thou thus attired, Andronicus? |
Titus |
Because I would be sure to have all well,
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Tamora | We are beholding to you, good Andronicus. |
Titus |
An if your highness knew my heart, you were.
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Saturninus | It was, Andronicus. |
Titus | Your reason, mighty lord? |
Saturninus |
Because the girl should not survive her shame,
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Titus |
A reason mighty, strong, and effectual;
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Saturninus | What hast thou done, unnatural and unkind? |
Titus |
Kill’d her, for whom my tears have made me blind.
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Saturninus | What, was she ravish’d? tell who did the deed. |
Titus | Will’t please you eat? will’t please your highness feed? |
Tamora | Why hast thou slain thine only daughter thus? |
Titus |
Not I; ’twas Chiron and Demetrius:
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Saturninus | Go fetch them hither to us presently. |
Titus |
Why, there they are both, baked in that pie;
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Saturninus | Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed! Kills Titus. |
Lucius |
Can the son’s eye behold his father bleed?
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Marcus |
You sad-faced men, people and sons of Rome,
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Lucius |
Then, noble auditory, be it known to you,
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Marcus |
Now is my turn to speak. Behold this child: Pointing to the Child in the arms of an Attendant.
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Aemilius |
Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome,
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All | Lucius, all hail, Rome’s royal emperor! |
Marcus |
Go, go into old Titus’ sorrowful house, To Attendants.
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Lucius, Marcus, and the others descend. | |
All | Lucius, all hail, Rome’s gracious governor! |
Lucius |
Thanks, gentle Romans: may I govern so,
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Marcus |
Tear for tear, and loving kiss for kiss,
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Lucius |
Come hither, boy; come, come, and learn of us
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Young Lucius |
O grandsire, grandsire! even with all my heart
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Re-enter Attendants with Aaron. | |
Aemilius |
You sad Andronici, have done with woes:
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Lucius |
Set him breast-deep in earth, and famish him;
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Aaron |
O, why should wrath be mute, and fury dumb?
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Lucius |
Some loving friends convey the emperor hence,
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