Titus Andronicus was in his own lifetime claimed for Shakespeare, but Edward Ravenscroft, who prepared a new version in 1678, wrote of it: I have been told by some anciently conversant with the stage that it was not originally his, but brought by a private author to be acted, and he only gave some master-touches to one or two of the principal parts or characters. Ravenscrofts assertion deserves acceptance. The tragedy, a sanguinary picture of the decadence of Imperial Rome, contains powerful lines and situations, but is far too repulsive in plot and treatment, and too ostentatious in classical allusions, to take rank with Shakespeares acknowledged work. Ben Jonson credits Titus Andronicus with a popularity equalling Kyds Spanish Tragedy, and internal evidence shows that Kyd was capable of writing much of Titus. It was suggested by a piece called Titus and Vespasian, which Lord Stranges men played on April 11, 1592; this is only extant in a German version acted by English players in Germany, and published in 162. Titus Andronicus was obviously taken in hand soon after the production of Titus and Vespasian in order to exploit popular interest in the topic. It was acted by the Earl of Sussexs men on January 23, 1593-4, when it was described as a new piece; but that it was also acted subsequently by Shakespeares company is shown by the title-page of the first extant edition of 16, which describes it as having been performed by the Earl of Derbys and the Lord Chamberlains servants (successive titles of Shakespeares company), as well as by those of the Earls of Pembroke and Sussex. It was entered on the Stationers Register to John Danter on February 6, 1594. Langbaine claims to have seen an edition of this date, but none earlier than that of 16 is now known.

About the Author

The poets birth and baptism. John Shakespeares marriage with Mary Arden doubtless took place at Aston Cantlowe, the parish church of Wilmcote, in the autumn of 1557 (the church registers begin at a later date). On September 15, 1558, his first child, a daughter, Joan, was baptised in the church of Stratford. A second child, another daughter, Margaret, was baptised on December 2, 1562; but both these children died in infancy. The poet William, the first son and third child, was born on April 22 or 23, 1564. The latter date is generally accepted as his birthday, mainly (it would appear) on the ground that it was the day of his death. There is no positive evidence on the subject, but the Stratford parish registers attest that he was baptised on April 26. Alleged birthplace. Some doubt is justifiable as to the ordinarily accepted scene of his birth. Of two adjoining houses forming a detached building on the north side of Henley Street, that to the east was purchased by John Shakespeare in 1556, but there is no evidence that he owned or occupied the house to the west before 1575. Yet this western house has been known since 1759 as the poets birthplace, and a room on the first floor is claimed as that in which he was born. The two houses subsequently came by bequest of the poets granddaughter to the family of the poets sister, Joan Hart, and while the eastern tenement was let out to strangers for more than two centuries, and by them converted into an inn, the birthplace was until 1806 occupied by the Harts, who latterly carried on there the trade of butcher. The fact of its long occupancy by the poets collateral descendants accounts for the identification of the western rather than the eastern tenement with his birthplace. Both houses were purchased in behalf of subscribers to a public fund on September 16, 1847, and, after extensive restoration, were converted into a single domicile for the purposes of a public museum. They were presented under a deed of trust to the corporation of Stratford in 1866. Much of the Elizabethan timber and stonework survives, but a cellar under the birthplace is the only portion which remains as it was at the date of the poets birth.