shakespeare - most brutal?

[tali122]

what is considered to be shakespeare's most disturbing and brutal play?

[Ethel]

Titus Andronicus.

[jno]

the queen of the Goths is fed a pie that turns out to consist of her sons.

[mycats]

There is a quote in Macbeth where Lady Mabeth says
(talking about brestfeeding a baby that she would)
"Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums/ and dashed the brains out"
charming eh?
I have read that Macbeth is Shakesprears bloodiest play.

[SaxyJag]

I don't think you could go much further than Hamlet for disturbing. The whole undercurrent of madness and revenge bubbles so close to the surface throughout, and its relevance to today's world is uncanny.

[msemma]

There's a story in the news today about Titus Andronicus at the Globe, apparantly 4 people fainted on the opening night such is its gore.

[maxi29]

TA is certainly the bloodiest but don't think it's the most disturbing - it's too cartoonish for that.

Personally, I think the most disturbing is Measure for Measure, a chilling depiction of an autocracy and years ahead of its time. But I think that this has to be a subjective opinion.

[SaxyJag]

I know what you mean about Measure for Measure, and almost quoted it myself. I also find it a very emotional play, especially the bit where she goes to plead for her brother.

[jno]

well, you could say The Merchant of Venice. Many readers defend Shakespeare against charges of anti-semitism, and by contemporary standards it's mild, but it still reads unpleasantly at times.

[jump79]

One of the more disturbing ones would be Hamlet, IMO, I haven't read enough of his plays to say for sure though.

[spinchimp]

It is Titus Andronicu. End of story. Stop disagreeing about it.

[mycats]

Excuse me spinchimp?? are people not entitled to opinions anymore? Macbeth is referred to as "Shakespeares bloodiest play" so that is brutal and disturbing, but other people have different opinions on other plays.

[Echo]

No offense to anyone, but you are all wrong.

Surely King Lear and Hamlet are among the more disturbing plays written by Shakespeare.

[Caroline79]

I was in Macbeth and it's mild in comparison to TA, thats FACT not opinion. Sorry lovies

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[Kingaroo]

Another vote for Titus Andronicus. Perhaps so disturbing to me as I saw it completely "cold" with all my expectations based on high-school-appropriate Dramatic Romantic violence like Hamlet, R&J, Macbeth, the histories, etc where death is usually the fairly logical result of argument-gone-wrong, thwarted love, noble revenge, power-lust, or politics. Tragic, sure, but not sick. I had no idea The Bard ever addressed torture, rape, mutilation, cannibalism, and psychotic sadism. For an eye opener, rent the film with Anthony Hopkins and Alan Cummins. It's got a post-modern visual flavor that enhances the twistedness.