The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1076 page)

And in that paste let their vile heads be bak'd.

Come, come, be every one officious

To make this banquet, which I wish may prove

More stern and bloody than the Centaurs' feast.

[He cuts their throats]

So.

Now bring them in, for I will play the cook,

And see them ready against their mother comes.

Exeunt, bearing the dead bodies

Come,come, Lavinia; look, your enemies are tied up.

Sirs, gag them, don't let them speak to me;

but let them hear the fearsome things I have to say.

You villains, Chiron and Demetrius!

here is the spring which you have polluted with mud;

the sweet summer which you mixed with winter.

You killed her husband, and for that evil crime

two of her brothers were condemned to death,

and my hand was cut of to mock me;

you inhuman traitors held her down and stole

both of her sweet hands, her tongue,

and the thing more important to her

than both, her unblemished chastity.

What would you say, if I let you speak?

Villains, you wouldn't have the nerve to beg for mercy.

Listen, wretches!I'll tell you how I mean to kill you.

I have this one hand left to cut your throats,

while Lavinia holds the basin between her stumps

which will collect your guilty blood.

You know your mother intends to come to my feast,

and calls herself Revenge, and thinks I am mad.

Listen, villains!I will grind your bones into dust,

and I'll mix it into a paste with your blood,

and I'll make a piecrust of that paste,

and make two pies out of your sinful heads;

I'll ask that strumpet, your unholy mother,

to swallow her own produce, she'll be your grave.

This is the feast I have invited her to,

and the banquet she shall be stuffed with;

for you have treated my daughter worse than Philomel,

and I will take a worse revenge than Progne.

Now prepare your throats.Lavinia, come,

collect the blood; and when they are dead,

Let me go and grind their bones to fine powder

and mix it with this foul liquid,

and let their foul heads be baked in that paste.

Come, come, let everyone get busy

in arranging this banquet, which I hope will

prove to be more stern and bloody than the Centaur's feast.

It's done.

Now bring them in, for I will be the cook,

and have them prepared for their mother's arrival.

Enter Lucius, MARCUS, and the GOTHS, with AARON prisoner, and his CHILD in the arms of an attendant

LUCIUS.

Uncle Marcus, since 'tis my father's mind

That I repair to Rome, I am content.

Uncle Marcus, as it's my father's wish

that I return to Rome, I am happy to do so.

FIRST GOTH.

And ours with thine, befall what fortune will.

And we're happy to go along with whatever you decide, whatever happens.

LUCIUS.

Good uncle, take you in this barbarous Moor,

This ravenous tiger, this accursed devil;

Let him receive no sust'nance, fetter him,

Till he be brought unto the Empress' face

For testimony of her foul proceedings.

And see the ambush of our friends be strong;

I fear the Emperor means no good to us.

Good uncle, take this barbarous Moor into your custody,

this ravenous tiger, this cursed devil;

don't feed him, chain him,

until he can be brought face to face with the Empress

as a witness to her foul behaviour.

Make sure our forces are strong;

I fear the Emperor means to do us harm.

AARON.

Some devil whisper curses in my ear,

And prompt me that my tongue may utter forth

The venomous malice of my swelling heart!

I'd like some devil to whisper curses in my ear,

giving me inspiration to speak out

the poisonous evil in my swollen heart!

LUCIUS.

Away, inhuman dog, unhallowed slave!

Sirs, help our uncle to convey him in.

Exeunt GOTHS with AARON. Flourish within

The trumpets show the Emperor is at hand.

Sound trumpets. Enter SATURNINUS and

TAMORA, with AEMILIUS, TRIBUNES, SENATORS, and others

Away with you, inhuman dog, unholy slave!

Gentlemen, help my uncle take him away.

The trumpets show the Emperor is nearby.

SATURNINUS.

What, hath the firmament more suns than one?

What's this, is there more than one sun in the sky?

LUCIUS.

What boots it thee to call thyself a sun?

What use is it to call yourself a sun?

MARCUS.

Rome's Emperor, and nephew, break the parle;

These quarrels must be quietly debated.

The feast is ready which the careful Titus

Hath ordain'd to an honourable end,

For peace, for love, for league, and good to Rome.

Please you, therefore, draw nigh and take your places.

Rome's emperor, and you my nephew, start the negotiations;

these arguments must be debated peacefully.

The feast is ready which the suffering Titus

has ordered for honourable purposes,

out of peace, love, alliance, and the good of Rome.

So please, come in and sit down.

SATURNINUS.

Marcus, we will.

[A table brought in. The company sit down]

Trumpets sounding, enter TITUS

like a cook, placing the dishes, and LAVINIA

with a veil over her face; also YOUNG LUCIUS, and others

Marcus, we will.

TITUS.

Welcome, my lord; welcome, dread Queen;

Welcome, ye warlike Goths; welcome, Lucius;

And welcome all. Although the cheer be poor,

'Twill fill your stomachs; please you eat of it.

Welcome, my lord;welcome, fearsome queen;

welcome, you warlike Goths; welcome, Lucius;

and welcome all.Although the food is humble,

it will fill your stomachs; please eat.

SATURNINUS.

Why art thou thus attir'd, Andronicus?

Why are you dressed like this, Andronicus?

TITUS.

Because I would be sure to have all well

To entertain your Highness and your Empress.

Because I wanted to make sure that everything was suitable

to welcome your Highness and your Empress.

TAMORA.

We are beholding to you, good Andronicus.

We are grateful to you, good Andronicus.

TITUS.

An if your Highness knew my heart, you were.

My lord the Emperor, resolve me this:

Was it well done of rash Virginius

To slay his daughter with his own right hand,

Because she was enforc'd, stain'd, and deflower'd?

If you knew what was in my heart you would be.

My lord the Emperor, explain this to me:

was hasty Virginius right

to kill his daughter with his own hand,

because she was trapped, dishonoured and deflowered?

SATURNINUS.

It was, Andronicus.

He was, Andronicus.

TITUS.

Your reason, mighty lord.

Why do you say that, mighty lord?

SATURNINUS.

Because the girl should not survive her shame,

And by her presence still renew his sorrows.

So that the girl would not live in shame,

and continually remind him of his sorrow.

TITUS.

A reason mighty, strong, and effectual;

A pattern, precedent, and lively warrant

For me, most wretched, to perform the like.

Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee; [He kills her]

And with thy shame thy father's sorrow die!

A great reason, strong and logical;

an example, precedent and striking permission

for me, the most wretched man, to do the same.

Die, die, Lavinia, and let your shame die with you; [he kills her]

and let your father's sorrow die with your shame!

SATURNINUS.

What hast thou done, unnatural and unkind?

What have you done, you unnatural and horrible man?

TITUS.

Kill'd her for whom my tears have made me blind.

I am as woeful as Virginius was,

And have a thousand times more cause than he

To do this outrage; and it now is done.

I've killed the one who was causing the tears which made me blind.

I am as sad as Virginius was,

and have a thousand times more reason

to do this awful thing; now it's done.

SATURNINUS.

What, was she ravish'd? Tell who did the deed.

What, was she raped?Tell me who did it.

TITUS.

Will't please you eat? Will't please your Highness

feed?

Would you like to eat?Would your Highnesses please tuck in?

TAMORA.

Why hast thou slain thine only daughter thus?

Why have you killed your only daughter like this?

TITUS.

Not I; 'twas Chiron and Demetrius.

They ravish'd her, and cut away her tongue;

And they, 'twas they, that did her all this wrong.

It wasn't me; it was Chiron and Demetrius.

They raped her and cut out her tongue;

and they were the ones who killed her.

SATURNINUS.

Go, fetch them hither to us presently.

Go, bring them here to us at once.

TITUS.

Why, there they are, both baked in this pie,

Whereof their mother daintily hath fed,

Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred.

'Tis true, 'tis true: witness my knife's sharp point.

[He stabs the EMPRESS]

Why, there they are, both baked in this pie,

which their mother has just enjoyed,

eating the flesh she bred herself.