Chapter: SCENE II.
A forest near Rome

Enter TITUS ANDRONICUS, and his three sons, LUCIUS, QUINTUS,
MARTIUS,
making a noise with hounds and horns; and MARCUS

  TITUS. The hunt is up, the morn is bright and grey,
    The fields are fragrant, and the woods are green.
    Uncouple here, and let us make a bay,
    And wake the Emperor and his lovely bride,
    And rouse the Prince, and ring a hunter's peal,
    That all the court may echo with the noise.
    Sons, let it be your charge, as it is ours,
    To attend the Emperor's person carefully.
    I have been troubled in my sleep this night,
    But dawning day new comfort hath inspir'd.

         Here a cry of hounds, and wind horns in a peal.
       Then enter SATURNINUS, TAMORA, BASSIANUS LAVINIA,
            CHIRON, DEMETRIUS, and their attendants
    Many good morrows to your Majesty!
    Madam, to you as many and as good!
    I promised your Grace a hunter's peal.
  SATURNINUS. And you have rung it lustily, my lord,--
    Somewhat too early for new-married ladies.
  BASSIANUS. Lavinia, how say you?
  LAVINIA. I say no;
    I have been broad awake two hours and more.
  SATURNINUS. Come on then, horse and chariots let us have,
    And to our sport.  [To TAMORA]  Madam, now shall ye see
    Our Roman hunting.
  MARCUS. I have dogs, my lord,
    Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase,
    And climb the highest promontory top.
  TITUS. And I have horse will follow where the game
    Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain.
  DEMETRIUS. Chiron, we hunt not, we, with horse nor hound,
    But hope to pluck a dainty doe to ground.             Exeunt

 The next morning Titus and his sons wait outside the emperor's palace and prepare for a day of hunting. Titus says he didn't sleep well last night but he has a feeling it's going to be a good day. Saturninus, Tamora, Bassianus, Lavinia, Chiron, Demetrius, and a bunch of attendants enter and Titus greets them. Saturninus cracks a joke about how it's way too early in the morning for newly married ladies to be awake . Lavinia announces that she's not tired at all - in fact, she's been awake for hours. As everyone talks excitedly about the big panther hunt, Chiron and Demetrius snicker that they're hoping to "pluck a dainty doe to the ground," which is a crude metaphor for their plan to rape Lavinia while everyone else is hunting for panther.

