The tone of Titus Andronicus is grim and violent. Although the play takes place in a fictional alternate history of the Roman Empire, much of the conflict regarding the decline of the ruling elite is drawn from reliable sources of Roman history, such as the works of Livy, adding an air of authenticity to the drama that unfolds. As a revenge tragedy, the story is full of acts of brutality that grow in extremity over the course of the play, culminating in a climactic bloodbath in which there are ultimately no victors.
The rape of Lavinia in particular, and its repeated mention as an inciting incident for much of the revenge, is graphic and excessive, especially in comparison to her silence throughout the play. It should be noted, however, that despite the drama’s gruesome, serious subject matter, the play also has a particular brand of dark humor that manifests with sharp precision, as shown during the incident when Titus feeds Tamora her own sons in a pie. In this manner Shakespeare finds moments to blend horror with humor, just as he blends violence with beauty, suggesting throughout the play that the two can and do coexist, even in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
