Titus Andronicus

Lucius leads an army of Goths toward Rome. He assures them that many of the citizens hate their emperor and will join their cause. The Goths seek revenge on Rome but also Tamora, whom they consider a traitor. A Goth leads Aaron and his baby at sword point. He explains he found them sheltering in some ruins and overheard Aaron talking to the baby, revealing the baby’s parentage. Lucius tells the Goths to hang both Aaron and the child from a tree. Aaron promises Lucius that if he swears to spare the child, he will tell him everything he knows; otherwise, the knowledge will die with him. Lucius agrees but says he cannot meaningfully swear on anything as Aaron is not religious. Aaron tells him to swear on whatever god has value to him.

Aaron confirms that the child was born from his illicit relationship with Tamora. He reveals that Tamora’s sons were responsible for the crimes against Lavinia and Bassianus’s murder. He says he and Tamora encouraged them. He reveals that he orchestrated the plot to frame Lucius’s brothers. He takes sole responsibility for tricking Titus into cutting off his hand and returning his sons’ heads; he recounts hiding to watch Titus’s reaction and laughing.