Titus Andronicus Character Study

What do we learn about Titus Andronicus in the opening to Shakespeares scarper? Our first introduction to the character of Titus Andronicus is by way of a speech my his son, Marcus, who represents the voice of the common people in the election campaign for emperory, declaring that Titus Andronicus has been chosen by the people of Rome to be the next emperor. He hails Titus as a hero, saying that there is non a nobler or braver warrior to be found indoors all of Rome.He is obviously held in great esteem by Marcus, who calls him good Andronicus, and Ren professed Titus. These descriptions of him using the positive epithets are powerful yet in truth simple to understand. He is portrayed in a very positive light, and is well respected within Rome for his many years of military campaigns against the enemies of Rome. He returns a hero, with a claim to the title of emperor. However, his successes have not come without great person losses, as we learn he has buried many of his sons on re turn from his various military causes.The first insight we see into his character is one of cruelty and vengefulness, when he rejects Tamoras pleas to spare her first-born son and is the perpetrator of entire violence, sacrificing him in revenge for the deaths of his sons at the hands of the Goths, her people. This view of Titus as a merciless killer starkly contradicts what we had learned about him from Marcus, who led us to expect Titus to be honourable and good and sets the tone for the play as dark and brutal. The sudden violence is a shock, and we see that there are 2 sides to his character the much loved hero and the ruthless warrior.Titus has fought for Rome for 40 years, so is quite old by Roman standards and though he has been chosen by the people to be their emperor, he feels that he is not suitable to rule A better head her glorious body fits, than his that shakes for age and feebleness. here he is saying that he feels he is no fit to rule an empire as glorious as the Roman Empire, and relinquishes he claim to rule. This obscurity of character is a huge contrast from the violent nature we saw him display when he demanded the death of Alarbus.He asks for a staff of honour rather of a sceptre to control the world and favours off to be emperor in his place, as he is the late emperors eldest son, wake that he values tradition over the far more virtuous character or Bassianus. He then shows loyalty to the unlikeable Saturninus over his own son, mercilessly killing him when he stands in his way. This second brutal act because of his slavish loyalty to Rome provokes even the violent Goths to declare that they are not half so barbarous as Rome.The honourable Titus that we were first introduced to actually shows contempt for honour in trying to force his daughter to break her betrothal, and his erroneous devotion to Roman customs causes more harm than good, especially to him he quickly goes from being the favourite of Rome to being despised by Satur nine because of the betrayal of his family. His actions seem chaotic and random, yet follow the ongoing theme of revenge, making Titus Andronicus a revenge tragedy.