Quotes from Titus Andronicus

[Seraph404]

I've been reading Titus Andronicus, and I came across two different quotes that I couldn't figure out the meaning of.

The first one:

After the raped and mutilated Lavinia is shown to Titus by his brother Marcus, Titus says:

"Faint-hearted boy, arise and look upon her. -- Speak, Lavinia. What accursed hand hath made thee handless in thy father's sight? What fool hath added water to the sea?"

The underlined part is what I haven't quite figured out. Do any of you know what this saying means?

Also:

After Aaron has tricked Titus into cutting off his own hand and sending it the emperor in vain hope that his sons will be pardoned of their execution, which Titus instead receives their heads along with his own hand returned to him,

Lucius says:

"Ah, that this sight should make so deep a wound and yet detested life not shrink thereat! That ever death should let life bear his name, where life hath no more interest but to breathe."

Once again, I don't really know what Lucius means in the lines that I underlined.

I don't know why these two lines are bugging me; they just are.

[jessebailey]

"Faint-hearted boy, arise and look upon her. -- Speak, Lavinia. What accursed hand hath made thee handless in thy father's sight? What fool hath added water to the sea?" - Titus

"Ah, that this sight should make so deep a wound and yet detested life not shrink thereat! That ever death should let life bear his name, where life hath no more interest but to breathe." - Lucius


Titus is asking who has added water in the form of his daughter's rape and mutilation to the sea of his sorrow of loss, notably the loss of so much of his close family.

Lucius is referring to the fact that his brother has endured such relentless hardship. He is saying that although Titus is alive, it is only in the sense that he is still breathing, as his soul is likely dead at this point from the endless tragedy of his life.

Hope this helps, and sorry it took so long for you to get a response on this board!

[bwbuss]

Hi;

I think the water is the purity of her life - it represents clean fresh water. It has been added foolishly to sea water which in Shakespeare's time was viewed as impure and unclean. Her purity has no place in the impurity of the sea.

It is a tradgedy (foolish or wasteful) in his mind to add her purity of spirit to those of the sea of the dead (corrupt/evil people).