blur together horribly. It is this over dedication to Rome and his lacking of the lacking of the feminine, which also causes Titus to turn a cold heart to Tamora’s pleas. “Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed, a mother’s tears in passion for her son; and if thy sons were ever dearer to thee O, think my son to be as dear to me!” (Shakespeare, I.i, 106-108) However, Titus’ devotion to Roman customs and inability to identify with a mother’s pleas, that her “son is mark’d and die he must, t’appease their groaning shadows that are gone” (Shakespeare, I.i, 125-126.) His lack of femininity and desire that Roman tradition be followed allows him no sympathy for this upset mother and as result will suffer later in the play. Titus’ failings as a parent and extreme devotion to Rome become most apparent when, “In a bad quarrel,” he, “[slays] a virtuous son” (Shakespeare, I.i, 341) for opposing his decision to allow Lavina, Titus’ daughter, to become the wife of Rome’s new emperor, Saturninus. Even in this decision he does not consult with his daughter to see if it is her desire to become “Rome’s royal mistress.” (Shakespeare, I.i, 241) It is clear that Titus is unable to separate his role as a father from his position as a General in Rome’s army. Traub argues “that those character’s left outside of the world of marriage tend to be masculine because of their temperaments” (Traub, 133) and this is very true with Titus. For Titus the lack of a wife hinders him from seeing any other future for his sons other then to being warriors, it prevents him from sympathizing with a mother’s pleas and furthermore leave him demanding strict obedience form his children. Traub’s argument also holds true for the title character in King Lear. Like Titus Andronicus Lear’s temperament is very ...
