Let Them Satisfy Their Lust on Thee: Titus Andronicus as a Window into Societal Understanding of PTSD

Titus Andronicus in which the young Lavinia is raped and then brutally mutilated, is arguably Shakespeare’s most explicit and

complex play involving rape. A range of theatrical, feminist, and performance literature examines the character of Lavinia

and the representation of her assault. Yet, the representation of rape, like rape itself, is socially and historically constructed.

This article reviews societal, legal, and medical views of rape from Shakespeare’s late 16th-century London to the present.

By applying a temporal lens to productions of Titus Andronicus staged in varying time periods, performance can be seen

to explicate historical stages in the understanding of rape victims and their subsequent trauma. Thus, a 400-year-old play

continues to reflect modern reality by depicting a contemporary understanding of rape and trauma, shaped by social mores,

legal structures, and scientific knowledge.