Classical and Contemporary Sources of the ‘Gloomy Woods’ of Titus Andronicus: Ovid, Seneca, Spenser

Abstract

Students of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus (1594) have always noted the close connection between this play and the story of Philomela told by Ovid in the sixth book of his Metamorphoses. Shakespeare himself makes this connection very clear. Lavinia contrives to tell her father that she has been raped by securing a copy of ‘Ouids Metamorphosis’ and drawing attention to the ‘tragicke tale of Philomel’ (4.i.1442 and 1447) contained within it.1 Titus glances at the book and says: Launinia wert thou thus surpriz’d sweet gyrle? Rauisht and wrongd as Philomela was, Forcd in the ruthlesse Vast and gloomie woods; See, see, I such a place there is where we did hunt, (O had we neuer, neuer hunted there,) Patternd by that the Poet here describes, By nature made for murthers and for rapes. (4.i.1450–6) Could one possibly ask for a more explicit indication of the source of the ‘gloomy woods’ of Titus Andronicus? The woodland scene of Lavinia’s rape is plainly stated to be ‘Patternd’ on the scene of Philomela’s rape in Ovid.

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