Let them Satisfy Thus Lust on Thee: Titus Andronicus as Window Into Societal Views of Rape and PTSD

Kaitlyn Regehr; Cheryl Regehr

doi:10.1177/1534765611426791

Let them Satisfy Thus Lust on Thee: Titus Andronicus as Window Into Societal Views of Rape and PTSD

Kaitlyn Regehr^*, Cheryl Regehr

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	27-34
Number of pages	8
Journal	Traumatology
Volume	18
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1534765611426791
Publication status	Published - Jun 2012

Keywords

PTSD
rape
Shakespeare
trauma

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1177/1534765611426791

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abstract = "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.",

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AB - 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.

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Let them Satisfy Thus Lust on Thee: Titus Andronicus as Window Into Societal Views of Rape and PTSD

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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