Quotations

QUOTE #1
In Act II, Marcus greets Lavinia

Speak, gentle niece, what stern ungentle hands
Have lopp’d and hew’d and made thy body bare
Of her two branches, those sweet ornaments,
Whose circling shadows kings have sought to sleep in.

Translation:
Please speak with me - with your injured hands
Those hands that have been carved and injured and left your body
Your hands were strong like branches and once were the most beautiful parts of your body
Now, those hands are gone, those beautiful hands that once held kings as they slept.

Explanation:
These lines are important to the play because it is the first time Lavinia is seen without her hands. She has had a major transition within her life; she does not know how to go on without her hands. Marcus tries to encourage her by stating the beauty that has always been within her, and he also expresses his sorrow for the loss of her hands. She cannot express (literally and figuratively) how wonderful it is to hear such kind words in such a tumultuous time of her life.