Yushan Zhang ENG201 04/24/2013 The Good Girl of Tragedy In William Shakespeares play, Titus Andronicus, the daughter

of the main character suffers as a result of her fathers actions. Lavinia, who is the only daughter among all Titus twenty-six children, is portrayed as an innocent character and she consistently show loyalty to her father, Titus. However, Titus commits a series of acts which eventually bring about his own downfall, as well as that of his daughter. The relationship shared between Lavinia and Titus is exclusive and devoted, yet rather than enjoy the closeness the daughter suffers because of it. Lavinia is raped and mutilated as part of Tamoras revenge upon Titus. To complete the tragic scheme, Lavinia loses her life in an unsettling way that either directly or indirectly involves her father. Lavinia loses her virginity, becomes mute and mutilated because she is the daughter of Titus. Tamora harms Lavinia to make Titus understand how a parent feels when his child gets hurt. Yet Tamora does not kill Lavinia, Tamora makes Lavinia suffer physically also makes Titus suffers even more psychologically. Eventually Titus cannot stand this more, after he kills Chiron and Demetrius to avenge his daughter, Titus kills Lavinia himself. Titus does love Lavinia, but he does not love her in a father and daughter way, more importantly he loves her as a bargaining tool for social and political gains. Lavinia is treated as a property of Titus, and Titus does not treat her as a person but more like an extension of himself. Andronicus is a noble Roman general who is intensely committed to his own principle, in fact that he appears stubborn. His inflexible manner alienates him from those he loves. He lost twenty-one sons in the war, and he comes back with very few remaining sons.Titus should tret the remainng sons as precious and protect them, but he does not. He directly kills Mutius, and because of his acts the other two sons were killed by Tamora. Lavinia is the only daughter of Titus Andronicus. At the time of this play, females tend to stay at home more often, while males go out and fight for their country. When all of the Andronicus boys go to the war, Lavinia is the only one who stays at home, and welcomes them return home in triumph. Lavinas brothers fight and face violence every day, only Lavinia arouses the gentleness in Titus.

Titus returns from battle and his reunion with Lavinia demonstrates the closeness between them, at which time he proclaims Kind Rome, that hast thus lovingly reservd the cordial of mine age to glad my heart. Lavinia, live; outlive thy fathers days, and fames eternal date, for virtues praise (Titus Andronics, 10). From this speech, it seems that Lavinia is a significant reason that Titus fights to preserve Rome, and her presence clearly initiates elation in Titus. Titus wishes his daughter would outlive himself, and Lavinias good reputation is always with her. While there is no dispute that Lavinia and her father share a mutual love for one another, it is essential to acknowledge the way in which Titus treats his daughter as a pawn in an attempt to satisfy his own desires. In the very beginning of the play, when the new Emperor. Saturnius makes an offer to Lavinia, he says Lavinia will I make my empress, Romes royal mistress, mistress of my heart, and in the sacred Pantheon her espouse. Tell me, Andronicus, doth this motion please thee (Titus Andronics, 12-13). Titus immediately accepts the offer without asking how Lavinia feels, since his daughter is in a relationship with Bassinus. By making such a quick decision without Lavinias consent, Shakespeare portrays Titus lack of respect to his daughter. Titus treats his daughter more like a property of his; if he really loves her as his daughter, he would think it over and at least ask Lavinas opinion. Nevertheless, he agrees, and he is even mad when other people stand in his way. This could be understood that Titus has Lavinias best interests at heart, and for this reason he wants her to marry the Emperor, so Lavinia would be the gracious Empress of Rome. However, when Bassianus, the brother of the Emperor, who really loves Lavinia, claims that Lavinia belongs to him, Titus is outraged. He calls Bassianus a villain and refuses to let him Barrst me my way in Rome (Titus Andronics, 15). Titus reveals that he is a man with sense of pride, he is too proud to let anyone stand in his way of what he desires. Not only will Lavinias running off with Bassianus sever ties with the Emperor it will also humiliate the Andronicus family, particularly Titus. If Lavinia marrys the Emperor, the rest of the revenge would not happen, the peace would go on in Rome. However, because Lavinia run away with Bassianus, that indirectly leads to the revenge. Because Titus and Lavinia appear to be so close, she is the prime target for Tamora and Aarons vicious revenge. After Bassianus is killed, Chiron and Demetrius rape and mutilate Lavinia in the most

crucial ways. She becomes mute and grotesque. When Titus sees the reappearance of his daughter, he is initially full of sadness. He feels sorry for her, and he says my grief was at the height before thou camst, and how like Nilus it disdaineth boundsIt was my dear, and he that wounded her hath hurt me more than he killed me deadbut that which gives my soul the greatest spurn is dear Lavinia, dearer than my soul (Titus Andronics, 48-49). From here we can tell that Titus is at his saddest moment. He loses all of his sons. Twenty-one of them were dead in the war. Mutius was killed by Titus. Quintus and Martius are arrested, and the possibility of them coming back safely is very small. The judges have pronounced Lucius everlasting doom of banishment. However, when he sees his daughter, she is still alive, but she is no better than dead. Titus feels that he is not been protective enough for Lavinia; nothing could relieve Tituss terrible sense of blame. But later in the play, Titus then becomes overwhelmed with obsession for revenge and anger. He shouts to Lavnia that thou map of woe, that thus dost talk in signs, when thy poor heart beats with outrageous beating, thou canst not strike it thus to make it still. Wound it with sighing, girl, kill it with groans; or get some little knife between thy teeth and just against thy heart make thou a hole, that all the tears that thy poor eyes let fall may run into that sink, and soaking in, drown the lamenting fool in sea-salt tears (Titus Andronics, 58). This illustrates his impatience with her vulnerability; he seems her as not useful any more. Lavinia was the most beautiful girl in Rome; every man loved her and wanted her. Even though Titus is a noble man already, he still could use his daughters beauty to become the member of the royal family. But right now, she can no longer perform that duty anymore; she is as ordinary as any female in Rome, and she is even inferior to them. Deprived of communication and robbed of chastity, Lavinia becomes a source of humiliation and embarrassment of Titus. Lavinia is a burden to him; she is no longer an advantage to bargain political and social status. More importantly, Titus considers Lavinia more as his property, he feels sorry or shameful is more for that he is not been protective enough. Thus, Titus pities himself as much as he does his disfigured daughter. At the end of the play, during the final revenge, Titus presents the Emperor with the story of rash Virginius who killed his daughter because shes been raped (Titus Andronics, 100), which is the situation

very similar to Lavinias. The Emperor agrees with what the father was doing for his daughter by taking away her life for a favor. Titus deems the Emperors consent as an approval and killed his own only daughter Lavinia. Titus seems to think that his situation is comparable to that of Virginius and thus must be treated in a same way. As Titus is killing Lavinia, he says Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee, and with thy shame thy fathers sorrow dies (Titus Andronics, 100). In Titus mind, Lavinia should not survive her shame. Every time when he sees her presence it still recalls his sorrows. Titus can no longer stand to watch Lavinia suffer. Actually, after Lavinia loses her tongue and hands, there is no meaning for her to be alive. Moreover, Titus thinks that he can read her mind; he believes that it is Lavinias wish to die. For instance, in the movie version of Titus, before Titus kills Lavinia, he calls Lavinia out, and tells everyone the story of rash Virginius. Lavinia stands by Titus like usual and very close to her father when he holds her from the back. She actually turns her head sideways when Titus has his hands around her neck. It appears that Lavinia is making things easier for Titus, so he could kill her. And when her own father kills her so her shame will die with her. What Titus cares about is not just Lavinias shame, he feels it is more of his shame. He feels he has not been protective for his own property; he is humiliated when his property has been destroyed. Furthermore, in Tituss point of view, what he is doing is just putting Lavinia into rest, and he knows that is also what Lavinia wants him to do. Lavinia is definitely the good girl of the tragedy. She has a young, charming appearance, benign in nature and pure in motive. The girl suffers at the hand of her father. Lavinia is raped and mutilated as part of Tamoras revenge upon her father, Titus. Although she is clearly a secondary character in the play, her life is as tragic as those of the tragic hero. She is surrounded by men who constantly manipulate and use her. Lavinia meets her end because of an action directly related to an action of her father. At the end of the play, Lavinia is killed by Titus. What Lavinia has suffered is all contributed to the hatred between Titus and Tamora.