Titus Andronicus

dating Titus Andronicus
It is generally agreed that Titus Andronicus was written and first performed sometime between 1589 and 1594.

Outbreaks of plague closed the theatres in London for almost a year from 1592-3. When Philip Henslowe was allowed to reopen his theatre, the Rose, for a short season between 27 December 1593 and 6 February 1594, a performance of a new play was recorded: 'ne - Rd at titus & ondronicus' which made three pounds and eight shillings in ticket sales - among the highest that season.

The play was performed again on 29 January and 6 February but plague closed the theatres again the following day (7 February), thus preventing a longer run of the play.

On 6 February 1594, the printer John Danter wrote an entry in the Stationers' Register for 'A Noble Roman Historye of Tytus Andronicus'.

There is an allusion to Titus Andronicus in a play called A Knack to Know a Knave , performances of which were recorded in 1592. In his introduction to the New Penguin edition of Titus Andronicus , Jacques Berthoud cites the title-page of the First Quarto edition of Titus Andronicus : 'As it was Plaide by the Right Honourable the Earle of Darbie, Earle of Pembrooke, and the Earle of Sussex their Servants'. Berthoud says that ' Shakespeare had close associations with the company protected by the Earls of Derby' and argues that "it would seem that Titus Andronicus must already have entered the repertoire of Derby's Men by the end of 1591 or the start of 1592 at the latest" [The New Penguin Shakespeare Titus Andronicus Introduction and Commentary by Jacques Berthoud, Edited by Sonia Massai 2001 pp. 8-10].

Jonathan Bate details evidence in the New Arden edition of Titus Andronicus to support a composition date for Titus Andronicus in the form in which we have it of 1593 (see pp. 77-8 INTRODUCTION, The Arden Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus ed. Jonathan Bate, London 2003).


			It is generally agreed that Titus Andronicus was written and first performed sometime between 1589 and 1594. Outbreaks of plague closed the theatres in London for almost a year from 1592-3. When Philip Henslowe was allowed to reopen his theatre, the Rose, for a short season between 27 December 1593 and 6 February 1594, a performance of a new play was recorded: 'ne - Rd at titus & ondronicus' which made three pounds and eight shillings in ticket sales - among the highest that season. The play was performed again on 29 January and 6 February but plague closed the theatres again the following day (7 February), thus preventing a longer run of the play. On 6 February 1594, the printer John Danter wrote an entry in the Stationers' Register for 'A Noble Roman Historye of Tytus Andronicus'. There is an allusion to Titus Andronicus in a play called A Knack to Know a Knave , performances of which were recorded in 1592. In his introduction to the New Penguin edition of Titus Andronicus , Jacques Berthoud cites the title-page of the First Quarto edition of Titus Andronicus : 'As it was Plaide by the Right Honourable the Earle of Darbie, Earle of Pembrooke, and the Earle of Sussex their Servants'. Berthoud says that ' Shakespeare had close associations with the company protected by the Earls of Derby' and argues that "it would seem that Titus Andronicus must already have entered the repertoire of Derby's Men by the end of 1591 or the start of 1592 at the latest" [The New Penguin Shakespeare Titus Andronicus Introduction and Commentary by Jacques Berthoud, Edited by Sonia Massai 2001 pp. 8-10]. Jonathan Bate details evidence in the New Arden edition of Titus Andronicus to support a composition date for Titus Andronicus in the form in which we have it of 1593 (see pp. 77-8 INTRODUCTION, The Arden Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus ed. Jonathan Bate, London 2003).