Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

English Language and Literatures

First Advisor

Edward Gieskes

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the father/daughter relationship between Titus and Lavinia in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. Scholarship on this relationship is sparse, and chapter two discusses the context that it is typically understood within, namely the father/daughter chastity pattern—in which fathers jealously protect their acquiescent daughters’ chastity from violation, ending in the daughter’s death. It is asserted that Titus and Lavinia fall outside of this pattern. Chapter three examines Titus and Lavinia’s relationship before her assault, asserting that Titus assumes the role of Roman first and father second, which guides his treatment of all his children. Lavinia is connected to the glory of Rome, and her chastity is essential for Titus’ advancement. Lavinia has limited opportunity to speak in the first act, but brazenly condemns Tamora for her lack of chastity in the second act, demonstrating Lavinia’s ill-fittedness for the role of the acquiescent daughter. In chapter four, Lavinia’s assault is examined as the hinge point of Titus and Lavinia’s father/daughter relationship. Titus defies expectations and claims Lavinia as his daughter after her assault, and Lavinia, despite her violent injuries, demonstrates both agency as she learns new communication skills and her retained daughterhood as she participates in the revenge plan. The fifth chapter examines assumptions surrounding Lavinia’s death before examining how the play as a whole frames death. Death can be a means of peace, rest, and honor if the recipient is placed in the right receptacle. Within the context of the play, Lavinia’s death is not condemned, nor does Titus assume the role of an angry, shamed father for killing her. Both are placed in  the sacred receptacle of the family tomb and both are thus able to attain peace. This thesis concludes by asserting that Titus and Lavinia do in fact fall outside of the father/daughter chastity pattern and that their father/daughter relationship is essential for understanding the actions and motivations of both characters within the play.

Rights

© 2026, Anna Elizabeth Cunningham

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