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Titus Andronicus

Act V, Scene 2

Rome. Before TITUS's house.
 
[Enter TAMORA, DEMETRIUS, and CHIRON, disguised]
 
TAMORA
        ,               ,           ,       ,     ,
      Thus in | this strange | and sad | habil|iment,
      ,            ,        ,        ,    ,
      I will | encount|er with | Andron|icus,
           ,    ,          ,       ,            ,
      And say,| I am | Revenge | sent from | below
           ,          ,          ,           ,         ,
      To join | with him | and right | his hein|ous wrongs:
        ,              ,      ,           ,         ,
      Knock at | his stud|y where | they say | he keeps,
          ,      ,      T      T    .   T        ,
      To rum|inate | strange plots of dire | revenge,
        ,            ,          ,         ,          ,
      Tell him | Revenge | is come | to join | with him,
            ,        ,       ,        ,    ,
      And work | confus|ion on | his en|emies.
 
[They knock. Enter TITUS, above]
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
       T    T   .  T        ,      ,     ,
      Who doth molest | my con|templa|tion?
       ,             ,          ,        ,          ,
      Is it | your trick | to make | me ope | the door,
            ,       ,        ,          ,      ,
      That so | my sad | decrees | may fly | away,
           ,         ,     ,       ,       ,
      And all | my stud|y be | to no | effect?
       ,             ,           ,        ,        ,
      You are | deceived,| for what | I mean | to do,
       T    T   .   T       ,               ,    ,
      See here in blood|y lines | I have / set down:
            ,         ,        ,         ,   ,      ->
      And what | is writ|ten shall | be ex|ecu||ted.
 
TAMORA
       ,      ,        ,         ,           ,
      Tit|us, I | am come | to talk | with thee,
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
       T  T  .   T     ,            ,          ,
      No not a word:| how can | I grace | my talk,
        ,           ,         ,        ,    ,
      Wanting | a hand | to give | it ac|tion,
              ,          ,        ,           ,          ,
      Thou* hast | the odds | of me,| *therefore | no* more.
 
TAMORA
           ,            ,          ,              ,          ,
      If thou | didst know | me, thou | wouldst^talk | with me.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
              ,   ,        ,           ,       ,
      I am / not mad,| I know | thee well | enough:
       ,                ,        ,
      Witness | this wretch|ed stump,  \\
       ,                ,        ,
      Witness | these^crim|son lines;  \\
       ,                 ,        ,         ,           ,
      Witness | these^trench|es made | by grief | and care,
       ,             ,       ,          ,      ,
      Witness | the tir|ing day,| and heav|y night,
       ,         ,   ,                  ,           ,
      Witness | all sor/row, that | I know | thee well
                  ,    ,          ,      ,    ,
      For our / proud emp|ress, might|y Tam|ora:
          ,         ,       ,        ,       ,
      Is not | thy com|ing for | my oth|er hand?
 
TAMORA
        T    T   T     ,           ,     ,  2
      Know thou sad | man, I | am not | Tamora,
       ,            ,   ,       ,          ,
      She is | thy en|emy,| and I | thy friend,
      ,   2     ,     ,            2    ,         ,
      I am Rev|enge sent / from the in|fernal | kingdom,
           ,          ,       ,        ,         ,
      To ease | the gnaw|ing vul|ture of | thy mind,
           ,        ,         ,         ,        ,
      By work|ing wreak|ful venge|ance on | my foes:
        T    T   .   T        ,                ,      ,
      Come down and wel|come me | to this / world's light,
          ,          ,       ,       ,         ,
      Confer | with me | of murd|er and | of death,
               ,       ,        ,         ,        ,
      There's^not | a hol|low cave | or lurk|ing place,
       T   T   .  T    ,       ,       ,
      No vast obscur|ity,| or mist|y vale,
               ,      ,       ,      ,        ,
      Where* blood|y murd|er or | detest|ed rape,
            ,           ,        ,          ,          ,
      Can couch | for fear,| but I | will find | them out,
           ,           ,      ,              ,         ,
      And in | their ears | tell them | my dread|ful name,
          ,             ,           ,       ,         ,
      Revenge,| which^makes | the foul | offend|ers quake.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
            ,        ,          ,           ,        ,
      Art^thou | Revenge?| And art | thou sent | to me,
          ,      ,    ,             ,    ,
      To be | a tor|ment to | mine^en|emies?
 
TAMORA
         ,     ,           T    T   .   T        ,
      I am,| therefore | come down and wel|come me.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
       ,            ,        ,        ,         ,
      Do me | some serv|ice ere | I come | to thee:
       ,            ,            ,         ,         ,
      Lo by*| thy side | where Rape | and murd|er stands,
             ,      2      ,         ,          ,        ,
      Now* give | me some sur|ance that | thou art | Revenge,
        ,              ,          ,         ,   2     ,
      Stab them,| or tear | them on | thy char|iot-wheels,
            ,           ,         ,        ,    ,
      And then | I'll come | and be | thy wag|oner,
            ,        ,           ,       ,          ,
      And whirl | along | with thee | about | the globe.
           ,        ,   ,      ,          ,       ,
      Provide thee two proper palfreys, black as jet,  ????
           ,          ,        ,       ,       ,
      To hale | thy venge|ful wag|on swift | away,
       .    T   T   T      ,      2        ,       ,
      And find out murd|erers | in their guil|ty caves.
            ,         ,         ,       ,            ,
      And when | thy car | is load|en with | their heads,
          ,         ,          ,        ,       ,
      I will | dismount,| and by | the wag|on wheel
        ,      2     T   T    T       ,           ,
      Trot like^a | servile foot|man all | day* long,
       ,           ,        ,       ,         ,
      Even | from Ep|ton's ris|ing in | the east,
         ,         ,      ,    ,            ,
      Until | his ver|y down|fall in | the sea.
           ,        ,          ,          ,      ,
      And day | by day | I'll do | this heav|y task,
           ,        ,         ,         ,        ,
      So thou | destroy | Rapine | and murd|er there.
 
TAMORA
        ,             ,     ,           ,          ,
      These are | my min|isters,| and come | with me.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
            ,         ,     ,       ,                ,
      Are them | thy min|isters,| what are | they called?
 
TAMORA
        ,         ,         ,            ,
      Rape and | Murder,| therefore | called so,
      <-  ,             ,   ,                T    T   .  T
        Cause they || take ven/geance of | such kind of men.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
              ,          ,         ,          ,          ,
      Good* Lord | how like | the emp|ress' sons | they are,
           ,         ,               ,   ,       ,
      And you | the emp|ress: but / we world|ly men,
            ,    ,      ,        ,        ,
      Have^mis|era|ble mad | mistak|ing eyes:
           ,         ,      ,           ,         ,
      O* sweet | Revenge,| now do | I come | to thee,
         2    ,      ,        ,           ,        ,
      And if one | arm's em|bracement | will con|tent thee,
          ,        ,           ,       ,        ,
      I will | embrace | thee in | it by | and by.
 
[Exit above]
 
TAMORA
            ,         ,           ,         ,    ,
      This^clos|ing with | him, fits | his lun|acy,
           ,        ,            x        T     T    T
      Whatere | I forge | to feed his | brain-sick fits,
          ,        ,         ,    ,    2         ,
      Do you | uphold, and main|tain in your | speeches,
           ,         ,       ,      ,           ,
      For now | he firm|ly takes | me for | Revenge,
           ,       ,     ,               ,     ,
      And be|ing cred|ulous | in this / mad thought,
             ,          ,         ,    ,        ,
      I'll make | him send | for Lu|cius | his son,
             ,     ,          ,        ,          ,
      And whilst | I at | a banq|uet hold | him sure,
             ,          ,         ,        ,         ,
      I'll find | some cun|ning prac|tice out | of hand
           ,       ,         ,          ,       ,
      To scat|ter and | disperse | the gid|dy Goths,
          ,         ,       ,              ,    ,
      Or at | the least | make them | his en|emies:
       T    T   .   T         ,          ,         ,
      See here he comes,| and I | must play | my theme.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
        ,             ,         ,         ,          ,
      Long have | I been | forlorn,| and all | for thee,
       ,          ,    ,             ,        ,
      Welcome | dread Fu/ry to | my woe|ful house,
          ,         ,        ,         ,        ,
      Rapine | and murd|er, you | are wel|come too,
       T    T   .   T        ,          ,         ,
      How like the emp|ress and | her sons | you are.
        ,             ,        ,         ,        ,
      Well are | you fit|ted, had | you but | a Moor,
             ,     T    T  .   T          ,        x
      Could not | all hell afford | you such | a devil?
            ,       ,         ,        ,       ,
      For well | I wot | the emp|ress nev|er wags;
           ,         ,    ,          ,       ,
      But in | her comp|any | there is | a Moor,
            ,          ,      ,          ,        ,
      And would | you rep|resent | our queen | aright
           ,        ,              ,    ,        x
      It were | conven|ient you / had such | a devil:
           ,        ,        ,           ,         ,
      But wel|come as | you are,| what shall | we do?
 
TAMORA
              ,             ,        ,       ,    ,
      What wouldst | thou have | us do | Andron|icus?
 
DEMETRIUS
        ,          ,     ,      ,    ,
      Show me | a murd|erer,| I'll deal / with him.
 
CHIRON
        ,          ,         ,           ,        ,
      Show me | a vil|lain that | hath done | a rape,
          ,        ,        ,        ,         ,
      And I | am sent | to be | revenged | on him.
 
TAMORA
        ,           ,         ,           ,           ,
      Show me | a thous|and that | have done | thee wrong,
       T    T   T      ,       ,         ,
      And I'll be | reven|ged on | them all.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
        T    T   .  T          ,        ,           ,
      Look round about | the wick|ed streets | of Rome,
            ,            ,        ,             ,         ,
      And when | thou findst | a man | that's like | thyself,
             ,        ,           ,       ,      ,
      Good* murd|er stab | him, he's | a murd|erer.
       ,          ,              ,        ,        ,
      Go thou | with him,| and when | it is | thy hap
           ,       ,       ,         ,         ,
      To find | anoth|er that | is like | to thee,
             ,        ,          ,         ,     ,
      Good* Rap|ine stab | him, he | is a rav|isher.
       ,          ,          ,             ,          ,
      Go thou | with them,| and in | the empe|ror's court,
        ,            ,        ,       ,       ,
      There is | a queen | attend|ed by | a Moor,
              ,            ,     ,    2       ,       ,
      Well* mayst | thou know | her by thy | own pro|portion,
           ,         ,          ,       ,        ,
      For up | and down | she doth | resem|ble thee.
          ,          ,        ,          x         ,
      I pray | thee do | on them | some vio|lent death,
        ,               ,    ,        ,         ,
      They have | been vi|olent | to me | and mine.
TAMORA
             ,          ,         ,          ,         ,
      Well^hast | thou les|soned us,| this^shall | we do.
       ,                ,             ,        ,    ,
      But would | it please | thee* good | Andron|icus,
           ,         ,               ,    ,   2    ,
      To send | for Luc|ius thy / thrice-val|iant son,
            ,        T      T  .   T     .  T   T    T
      Who leads | towards Rome a band | of warlike Goths,
           ,          ,          ,       ,         ,
      And bid | him come | and banq|uet at | thy house.
             ,        ,      x            ,        ,
      When* he | is here,| even at | thy sol|emn feast,
          ,           ,        ,        ,          ,
      I will | bring^in | the emp|ress and | her sons,
           ,    ,         ,         ,          ,
      The emp|eror | himself,| and all | thy foes,
           ,        ,       ,            ,           ,
      And at | thy mer|cy shalt | they stoop,| and kneel,
           ,          ,            ,         ,       ,
      And on | them shalt | thou ease | thy ang|ry heart:
              ,        ,    ,         ,        ,
      What* says | Andron|icus | to this | device?
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
       ,           ,                ,   ,       ,
      Marcus | my broth|er, 'tis / sad Tit|us calls,
       T   Tx    T       ,         ,      ,       ->
      Go gentle Mar|cus to | thy neph|ew Luc||ius,
        ,         2    ,          ,       ,          ,
      Thou | shalt inquire | him out | among | the Goths,
       ,            ,        ,         ,       ,
      Bid him | repair | to me,| and bring | with him
        ,             ,         ,       ,         ,
      Some of | the chief|est prin|ces of | the Goths,
       ,            ,          ,         ,           ,
      Bid him | encamp | his sold|iers where | they are,
        ,              ,        ,         ,        ,
      Tell him | the empe|ror, and | the emp|ress too,
        T    .  T   T          ,           ,       ,
      Feast at my house,| and he | shall feast | with them,
        ,         ,             ,     .   T  T   T
      This do | thou for | my love,| and so let him,
       ,          ,          ,      ,         ,
      As he | regards | his ag|ed fath|er's life.
 
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
        ,            ,         ,        ,       ,
      This will | I do,| and soon | return | again.
 
TAMORA
       ,             ,        ,         ,     ,
      Now will | I hence | about | thy bus|iness,
            ,        ,     ,        ,          ,
      And take | my min|isters | along | with me.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
       T    T    T      ,         ,         ,      2
      Nay, nay, let | Rape and | Murder | stay with me,
           ,           ,         ,        ,       ,
      Or else | I'll call | my broth|er back | again,
             ,         ,       ,          ,    ,
      And cleave | to no | revenge | but Lu|cius.
 
TAMORA
        T   T   T      ,                ,          ,
      What say you | boys, will | you bide | with him,
             ,        ,         ,         ,    ,
      Whiles^I | go tell | my lord | the emp|eror
       ,            ,         ,       ,          ,
      How I | have gov|erned our | deter|mined jest?
        ,             ,         ,           ,           ,
      Yield to | his hum|or, smooth | and speak | him fair,
           ,       ,          ,        ,       ,
      And tar|ry with | him till | I turn | again.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
          ,          ,             ,         ,        ,
      I know | them all,| though they | suppose | me mad,
         2      ,    ,           ,          ,      ,
      And will ore|reach them | in their | own de|vices,
          ,         ,       ,      ,                ,
      A pair | of curs|ed hell-|hounds and | their dam.
 
DEMETRIUS
       ,          ,         ,          ,          ,
      Madam | depart | at pleas|ure, leave | us here.
 
TAMORA
            ,        ,     ,    .  T    T    T
      Farewell | Andron|icus,| Revenge now goes
          ,       ,    ,           ,          ,
      To lay | a com|plot to | betray | thy foes.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
          ,           ,          ,         ,           ,
      I know | thou dost,| and sweet | Revenge |*farewell.
 
[Exit TAMORA]
 
CHIRON
         Tx    T   T     ,              ,        ,
      Tell us old man,| how shall | we be | employed?
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
       ,              ,       ,          ,        ,
      Tut, I | have work | enough | for you | to do,
       ,   2           ,        x          ,      ,
      Publius | come^hith|er, Caius | and Val|entine.
 
[Enter PUBLIUS and others]
 
PUBLIUS
        ,              ,
      What is | your will?  \\
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
        T   T    T      ,
      Know you these | two?
 
PUBLIUS
                                  ,         __
                           The | empress'| sons
          ,           ,   ,       ,
      I take | them, Chi|ron, De|metri|us.
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
      <- ,      ,         ,          ,           ,         ,
        Fie || Publi|us, fie,| thou^art | too* much | deceived,
           ,        ,         ,      2     ,         ,
      The one | is murd|er, Rape | is the oth|er's name,
            ,           ,          ,       ,     ,
      And there|fore* bind | them gent|le Pub|lius,
        x           ,      T    T    T      ,
      Caius, and | Valen|tine, lay hands | on them.
       ,               ,          ,          ,         ,
      Oft have | you heard | me wish | for such | an hour,
           ,          x       T    T    T           ,
      And now | I find it,| therefore bind | them sure,
            ,             ,          ,       ,        ,
      And stop | their mouths,| if they | begin | to cry.
 
[Exit.  PUBLIUS etc. lay hold on CHIRON and DEMETRIUS]
 
CHIRON
       ,          T   T    T      2     ,          ,
      Villains | forbear, we | are the emp|ress' sons.
 
PUBLIUS
            ,          ,    ,          ,    2     ,
      And there|fore* do | we, what | we are com|manded.
        T    T     T        ,        2        T    T   .   T
      Stop close their | mouths, let* them | not speak a word.
                ,    ,       ,               ,           ,
      Is he / sure bound,| look that | you bind | them fast.
 
[Exeunt.  Enter TITUS with a knife, and LAVINIA with a basin.]
 
TITUS ANDRONICUS
        T     T   . T   2    ,          ,          ,
      Come, come Lavin|ia, look,| thy foes | are bound,
             ,             ,                 ,    ,         ,
      Sirs^stop | their mouths,| let^them / not speak | to me,
           ,           ,           ,        ,         x
      But let | them hear | what fear|ful words | I utter.
         ,          ,        ,       ,     ,
      O vil|lains, Chi|ron, and | Deme|trius,
        T     T    .     T           ,            ,            ,
      Here stands the spring | whom you | have stained | with mud,
             ,      ,        ,          ,        ,
      This^good|ly sum|mer with | your wint|er mixed,
              ,          ,                     ,    ,    ,
      You* killed | her hus|band, and for // that vile fault,
       ,             ,         ,          ,          ,
      Two of | her broth|ers were | condemned | to death,
           ,         ,          ,       ,       ,
      My hand | cut^off,| and made | a mer|ry jest,
        ,                 ,            ,      .    T    T    T
      Both her | sweet* hands,| her tongue,| and that more dear
             ,           ,           ,         ,     ,
      Than hands | or tongue,| her spot|less chast|ity,
         ,       ,         ,           ,             ,
      Inhum|an trait|ors, you | constrained | and forced.
             ,          ,       ,           ,          ,
      What would | you say,| if I | should let | you speak?
       ,               ,           ,          ,          ,
      Villains | for shame | you could | not beg | for grace.
        ,    ,                  ,        ,       ,
      Hark wretch/es, how*| I mean | to mar|tyr you,
            ,      T   T   .   T        ,            ,
      This one | hand yet is left,| to cut | your throats,
               ,       ,   2    ,            ,            ,
      Whilst^that | Lavin|ia 'tween | her stumps | doth^hold:
           ,       ,         ,            ,       ,
      The bas|in that | receives | your guil|ty blood.
            ,           ,       ,         ,           ,
      You know | your moth|er means  to feast | with me,
            ,          ,        ,            ,         ,
      And calls | herself | Revenge,| and thinks | me mad.
        ,   ,                    ,            ,          ,
      Hark vil/lains, I | will grind | your bones | to dust,
            ,           ,          ,          ,        ,
      And with | your blood | and it,| I'll make | a paste,
           ,         ,        ,      ,          ,
      And of | the paste | a cof|fin I | will rear,
            ,     ,    ,                  ,         ,
      And make | two past/ies of | your shame|ful heads,
           ,            ,              , ,         ,
      And bid | that strump|et your / unhal|lowed dam,
        ,             ,       ,            ,         ,
      Like to | the earth | swallow | her own | increase.
        ,             ,          ,         ,         ,
      This is | the feast,| that I | have bid | her to,
            ,          ,       ,           ,        ,
      And this | the banq|uet she | shall surf|eit on,
            ,           ,      ,         ,          ,       2->
      For worse | than Phi|lomel | you used | my daught||er,
            ,            ,      ,         ,        ,
      And worse | than Prog|ne, I | will be | revenged,
           ,         ,            ,         ,  2    ,
      And now | prepare | your throats:| Lavin|ia come,
          ,           ,           ,           ,          ,
      Receive | the blood,| and when | that they | are dead,
       ,             ,             ,         ,        ,
      Let me | go* grind | their bones | to pow|der small,
            ,           ,       ,        ,      ,
      And with | this hate|ful liq|uor temp|er it,
           ,          ,                   ,    ,          ,
      And in | that paste | let their / vile heads | be baked,
        T     T    T    ,       ,      ,
      Come, come, be | every | one of|ficious,
           ,           ,         ,         ,          ,
      To make | this banq|uet, which | I wish | may prove,
        T    T    .    T       ,          ,           ,
      More stern and blood|y than | the Cent|aurs'* feast.
 
[He cuts their throats]
       T   T    T           ,      2       ,          ,
      So, now bring | them in,| for I'll play | the cook,
           ,           ,         ,             ,       ,
      And see | them read|y, 'gainst | their moth|er comes.
 
[Exeunt, bearing the dead bodies]

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