Foil

Character Role Analysis

The Brothers Martius and Quintus (to the Brothers Demetrius and Chiron and the brothers Saturninus and Bassianus)

When Martius falls into the pit in the middle of the forest, his self-sacrificing brother Quintus tries desperately to pull him out: "Thy hand once more; I will not loose again, / Till thou art here aloft or I below," he says. When it becomes clear that Quintus won't be able to rescue his brother, he tumbles in the pit after him: "Thou canst not come to me – I come to thee," he declares (2.3.7). By this point in the play, it's been a long time since we've seen brothers behave lovingly toward one another. In fact, most of the other sets of brothers are pretty hateful and combative. In Act 1, Scene 1, Bassianus and Saturninus fight over who gets to be emperor, then they squabble over who gets to marry Lavinia. Later the brothers Demetrius and Chiron hurl insults and are ready to duke it out over Titus's daughter (2.1).