The Metamorphosis of Classical Allusions: William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus

This thesis delves into the intricate interplay between William Shakespeare's first tragedy, "Titus Andronicus" and its literary sources, which include Ovid, Seneca, Virgil, Livy, and Horace. The first chapter contextualises the play within its historical setting, offering a synopsis of the plot and discussing its date of composition. It examines the Elizabethan audience's fascination with death and public executions, shedding light on why such a gruesome play resonated profoundly with contemporary viewers. Furthermore, it delineates the genre of the revenge tragedy and its role in sixteenth-century England. Chapter two focuses on the relationship between "Titus Andronicus" and Ovid's Metamorphoses, analyzing Shakespeare's Rome and its fragile moral values. It explores Shakespeare's reinterpretation of Ovid's Philomel through the character of Lavinia, alongside other Ovidian mythical parallels. Additionally, it studies the metaliterary dimension of the play, examining the characters' complex relationship with literary precedents and the importance reading and writing has within the play. The final chapter is devoted to analysing the concluding acts of the play. It will try to delve deeper into the character of Titus and, through the study of the episode of Virginius drawn from Livy’s "Ab Urbe Condita", understand the events that have led him to lose his sanity and justify his daughter’s murder. The chapter closes with the analysis of the infamous banquet, whose literary precedent is Seneca’s revenge tragedy "Thyestes".