"Titus Andronicus" is one of William Shakespeare's first-period tragedies (1590 to 1594). This tragedy is the first that Shakespeare is considered to have written. Shakespeare's greatest tragedies however come from his second (1595 to 1600) and third (1601 to 1608) periods. "Romeo and Juliet" is an example of a second-period tragedy, as is "Julius Caesar". Third period works include: "Hamlet", "Othello", "King Lear", "Macbeth", and "Antony and Cleopatra".

"Titus Andronicus" (written between 1588 and 1593) is about a Roman king whose daughter is raped and his vengeance-obsessed atrocities. It is full of a great deal of violence and some comedy as well. Like most of Shakespeare's tragedies, the story has a fatally flawed character or system. It is a flaw which will ultimately result in destruction and a lot of death. In this tragedy, the titular character is a general who at first is welcomed to his home city with open arms as a military hero. However, as time passes, he slowly slips into madness, taking his family and a good portion of those close to him along. They all face gore-drenched situations, so lurid with ultra-violence - rape, mutilation, murder, cannibalism - that the bloodiness becomes ludicrous.

This play is considered Shakespeare's bloodiest and most violent work. It has been reported by scholars of history as being very popular for its day.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org