Titus Andronicus ( c. 1589 â `` 1592 ) is the first tragedy play by William Shakespeare . Written between 1589 and 1592 , Titus Andronicus may be Shakespeare 's earliest tragedy and is written in the form of a revenge tragedy , with characteristics similar to the work of the Roman playwright Seneca , specifically his play Thyestes , which included horrific scenes of severed hands , cannibalism , and rape . Although violence was not uncommon in Elizabethan plays , Titus Andronicus stands out due to the volume and extremity of the violent acts committed .