Dublin Core
Title
Contemporary Depiction of Titus Andronicus Performance
Subject
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Titus Andronicus
Description
Content description:
In this sketch, Tamora, queen of the Goths, and two of her sons kneel in supplication before Titus, who wears a Roman toga and brandishes a large spear. In stark contrast to the kneeling figures of Tamara and her sons, Aaron the Moor defiantly stands near the right edge of the frame. Behind Titus, to the left of the frame, stand two soldiers, who—along with Tamara—are wearing Elizabethan rather than Roman dress.
In this sketch, Tamora, queen of the Goths, and two of her sons kneel in supplication before Titus, who wears a Roman toga and brandishes a large spear. In stark contrast to the kneeling figures of Tamara and her sons, Aaron the Moor defiantly stands near the right edge of the frame. Behind Titus, to the left of the frame, stand two soldiers, who—along with Tamara—are wearing Elizabethan rather than Roman dress.
Scholarly significance:
Peacham's sketch, believed to be the earliest depiction of a Shakespearean performance, sheds light on the representation of race and costume practices in the Renaissance theater. The coloring of Aaron the Moor suggests the actor may have performed in blackface, as did Queen Henrietta in Jonson's 1605 Masque of Blackness. The fact that Titus is wearing a Roman toga while his subordinate soldiers are wearing Elizabethan dress suggests that, although theatrical troupes may have owned a few specialized, historical costumes, the majority of dress worn on stage was not historically accurate.
Peacham's sketch, believed to be the earliest depiction of a Shakespearean performance, sheds light on the representation of race and costume practices in the Renaissance theater. The coloring of Aaron the Moor suggests the actor may have performed in blackface, as did Queen Henrietta in Jonson's 1605 Masque of Blackness. The fact that Titus is wearing a Roman toga while his subordinate soldiers are wearing Elizabethan dress suggests that, although theatrical troupes may have owned a few specialized, historical costumes, the majority of dress worn on stage was not historically accurate.
Creator
Peacham, Henry, 1576?-1643?
Source
Detail of Manuscript Image from Wikimedia Commons
Date
1595
Rights
EMBTA does not hold the copyright for this item, which is already made freely available online. EMBTA cannot grant reproduction rights for this image. If you are interested in reproducing this image, please contact the copyright holder named in the “Source” field above.
Format
PNG
Type
Still Image
Identifier
embta2013-00109