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it becomes clear that, despite his outward appearance of wealth and success, he is not content; he yearns for his lost family, and expresses that longing eloquently and passionately. By interjecting the monologue with such expressive asides as "(Unseen, inquisitive)" (I.ii38), and "(unhappy)" (I.ii.40), Shakespeare seems to wish to reinforce its already highly poignant, emotional tone. This reinforcement serves a dual purpose: to render a powerful soliloquy all the more moving, and to establish, from an early point, the emotional landscape of the play and its characters.

The revelation of the more internalized, emotional aspects of a character, when he or she is alone, is a common convention of Shakespeare' plays. Often, a single aside or soliloquy can provide far more insight into the inner workings of a character than could any amount of dialogue, as interaction between characters and the language they use often belies their true intentions. This dichotomy is readily observable in The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus, as well.
Though another of his earliest works, Titus Andronicus, too, is indicative of Shakespeare's infallible understanding of human beings and the vicissitudes of human thought and feeling. The play itself is composed of extremes: extreme stoicism and patriotism on the part of its main protagonist, Titus, extreme violence, and extreme passion and treachery on the part of the Goths. It is this wide spectrum of emotion, the polarity of the characters in it, and their mobility from one pole to another that renders the play the grisly masterwork of human corruption and personal revenge that it is.

At the outset of the play, the character of Titus is one defined by extreme stoicism, or the repression of emotion, and by his unfaltering loyalty to Rome. These characteristics so define him and guide his action that, by the first act, the audience sees him to be capable of murdering his own son. Mutius, in defense of Bassianus' claim to Lavinia's hand in marriage, bars Titus' pursuit of Bassianus. In response to this perceived slight against his authority, and, more importantly, to what Titus views as a betrayal (directly contrasting with his clear understanding of loyalty), Titus kills Mutius without hesitation. So complete is Titus' stoicism that he also concedes no wrong in his action, and shows no remorse when confronted by Lucius, another of his sons:

Luc. My lord, you are unjust, and more than so,
In wrongful quarrel you have slain your son."
Tit.

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