Discussion On Monarchial Virtue In Titus Andronicus From Aspects Of Knowledge,Virtue And Contingency

The question of what constitutes a good monarch’s virtue is a concern and an answer that runs through Shakespeare’s work.Shakespeare’s first tragedy,Titus Andronicus,contains a reflection on the question of monarchical virtue beneath the veneer of revenge.Through his characterisation and storyline,Shakespeare portrays the new Roman monarch,Lucius,as a suitable monarch,with knowledge,virtue and contingency at his core.In contrast to the other characters in the story,Saturninus,Bassianus,Titus and Tamora,who are flawed in various ways,Lucius possesses martial and warlike knowledge,is skilled in the use of his oratorical knowledge and techniques,and has the right amount of political passion.In the face of the complexities of realpolitik,Lucius demonstrated the virtues of moderation and prudence,while being able to extend his love for his relatives to the members of his political community in order to gain popular support.More importantly,Lucius knows and understands the gap between the political imperative and the political realities,and is able to balance virtue with Contingency and to portray himself through specific ’performance’ acts in order to give confidence to the people and thus to safeguard the multiple interests of the monarch,the people and the political community.Apart from an introduction and a conclusion,the body of this study is divided into three chapters:The first chapter focuses on Shakespeare’s presentation of the intellectual composition and education of the monarch in Titus Andronicus.In the story,Lucius,a man of noble birth and martial prowess,acquires knowledge of war and oratory through family and practical education and is able to use this knowledge in political practice.In Shakespeare’s view,knowledge of martial arts and warfare,as well as knowledge of oratory,are the personal foundations for ruling for the monarch,and the latter is more important.The second chapter builds on the first and addresses the issue of virtue as the foundation of a monarch’s standing and rule.In the face of a rich heritage of discussion of the virtues of Greco-Roman monarchs,and the controversy of modern political thought represented by Erasmus and Machiavelli in the Renaissance,Shakespeare insists on the supreme significance of virtue for the virtue of monarchs.Proper political passion,temperance and prudence,and ’love’ for loved ones and the people form the core of the monarch’s virtues in Titus Andronicus,and continue to do so in Shakespeare’s subsequent tragedies and history plays.The third chapter builds on this discussion by focusing on the contingency of the monarch in political practice and the resulting balance between virtue and contingency.Based on the lessons of modern English history and the perception of social reality,Shakespeare does not shy away from expressing the darkness of realpolitik and the darkness of human nature in Titus Andronicus.The extreme moral quest of Bassianus leads to failure,while Lucius glorifies treason through his ’performance’,winning popular support and achieving a win-win situation for both the individual and the political community.Shakespeare never denies the importance of contingency as a ’weapon’ in realpolitik for the monarch.To sum up,the care of monarchical virtue in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus precedes the early writing of the historical plays and later initiates the reflections of King Henry IV,Hamlet,King Lear and Macbeth.Throughout his twenty-year career,Shakespeare,caught between political demands,commercial preferences and personal expression,has developed his political thought on the basis of realistic concerns,but knowledge,virtue and ccontingency have always been at the heart of his reflections on monarchical virtue,and all these factors are systematically and deeply considered and expressed in Titus Andronicus.