To what extent do you consider Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus to be a moral play?

... U5 English Coursework Ben Lovett 24.02.2003 To what extent do you consider Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus to be a moral play? Titus Andronicus is perhaps one of the most graphic, brutal, and sensational tragedies of the last millennium. However the question of whether this play presents itself as a moral play is far more disputed. I think for the twenty-first century reader it is far too blunt as an out of context piece of literature; too graphic and absurd to allow the reader to appreciate any moral issues being questioned. However I think as a sixteenth century stage production Titus Andronicus somehow manages to justify the carnage through the timing and the emotional change of the actors. This is how Shakespeare connected with his viewers, because he has the audience questioning whether they should feel death can be justified, especially with the swift killing of Lavinia by her father. These questions lead the

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