To see her tears, but be your heart to them

As unrelenting flint to drops of rain.

LAVINIA

When did the tiger’s young ones teach the dam?

O, do not learn her wrath! She taught it thee.

The milk thou sucked’st from her did turn to marble,

Even at thy teat thou hadst thy tyranny.

Yet every mother breeds not sons alike.

(To Chiron) Do thou entreat her show a woman’s pity.

CHIRON

What, wouldst thou have me prove myself a bastard?

LAVINIA

’Tis true, the raven doth not hatch a lark.

Yet have I heard—O, could I find it now!—

The lion, moved with pity, did endure

To have his princely paws pared all away.

Some say that ravens foster forlorn children

The whilst their own birds famish in their nests.

O, be to me, though thy hard heart say no,

Nothing so kind, but something pitiful.

TAMORA

I know not what it means. Away with her!

LAVINIA

O, let me teach thee for my father’s sake,

That gave thee life when well he might have slain thee.

Be not obdurate, open thy deaf ears.

TAMORA

Hadst thou in person ne’er offended me

Even for his sake am I pitiless.

Remember, boys, I poured forth tears in vain

To save your brother from the sacrifice,

But fierce Andronicus would not relent.

Therefore away with her, and use her as you will—

The worse to her, the better loved of me.

LAVINIA

O Tamora, be called a gentle queen,

And with thine own hands kill me in this place;

For ’tis not life that I have begged so long;

Poor I was slain when Bassianus died.

TAMORA

What begg’st thou then, fond woman? Let me go.

LAVINIA

’Tis present death I beg, and one thing more

That womanhood denies my tongue to tell.

O, keep me from their worse-than-killing lust,

And tumble me into some loathsome pit

Where never man’s eye may behold my body.

Do this, and be a charitable murderer.

TAMORA

So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee.

No, let them satisfy their lust on thee.

DEMETRIUS (to Lavinia)

Away, for thou hast stayed us here too long.

LAVINIA

No grace, no womanhood—ah, beastly creature,

The blot and enemy to our general name,

Confusion fall—

CHIRON

Nay then, I’ll stop your mouth. (To Demetrius) Bring thou her husband.

This is the hole where Aaron bid us hide him.

Demetrius and Chiron cast Bassianus’ body into the

pit ⌈and cover the mouth of it with branches⌉, then

exeunt dragging Lavinia

TAMORA

Farewell, my sons. See that you make her sure.

Ne’er let my heart know merry cheer indeed

Till all the Andronici be made away.

Now will I hence to seek my lovely Moor,

And let my spleenful sons this trull deflower. Exit

Enter Aaron with Quintus and Martius, two of

Titus’ sons

AARON

Come on, my lords, the better foot before.

Straight will I bring you to the loathsome pit

Where I espied the panther fast asleep.

QUINTUS

My sight is very dull, whate’er it bodes.

MARTIUS

And mine, I promise you. Were it not for shame,

Well could I leave our sport to sleep awhile.

He falls into the pit

QUINTUS

What, art thou fallen? What subtle hole is this,

Whose mouth is covered with rude-growing briers

Upon whose leaves are drops of new-shed blood

As fresh as morning dew distilled on flowers?

A very fatal place it seems to me.

Speak, brother. Hast thou hurt thee with the fall?

MARTIUS

O brother, with the dismall’st object hurt

That ever eye with sight made heart lament.

AARON (aside)

Now will I fetch the King to find them here,

That he thereby may have a likely guess

How these were they that made away his brother.

Exit

MARTIUS

Why dost not comfort me and help me out

From this unhallowed and bloodstained hole?

QUINTUS

I am surprised with an uncouth fear.

A chilling sweat o’erruns my trembling joints;

My heart suspects more than mine eye can see.

MARTIUS

To prove thou hast a true-divining heart,

Aaron and thou look down into this den,

And see a fearful sight of blood and death.

QUINTUS

Aaron is gone, and my compassionate heart

Will not permit mine eyes once to behold

The thing whereat it trembles by surmise.

O, tell me who it is, for ne’er till now

Was I a child to fear I know not what.

MARTIUS

Lord Bassianus lies berayed in blood

All on a heap, like to a slaughtered lamb,

In this detested, dark, blood-drinking pit.

QUINTUS

If it be dark how dost thou know ’tis he?

MARTIUS

Upon his bloody finger he doth wear

A precious ring that lightens all this hole,

Which like a taper in some monument

Doth shine upon the dead man’s earthy cheeks

And shows the ragged entrails of this pit.

So pale did shine the moon on Pyramus

When he by night lay bathed in maiden blood.

O brother, help me with thy fainting hand—

If fear hath made thee faint, as me it hath—

Out of this fell devouring receptacle,

As hateful as Cocytus’ misty mouth.