How Is Titus Andronicus Crazy

In Shakespeare’s play, Titus Andronicus, the main character Titus is considered a strong war leader. He goes through many tragic moments throughout the play and is eventually driven mad because of the tragic events. It is interesting that such a strong, experienced warrior would break down emotionally and go mad. The character Titus and all of his reactions play an important role in Titus Andronicus. Titus may have been insane from the moment he got back from war, but it is evident that as time goes on, he takes on a worse mental state with each heart wrenching tragedy. Titus gives a little hint of madness when he kills his own son because he was standing in the way of Lavinia and Bassianus (1.1.295-300). When Quintus and Martius are accused of killing Bassianus, Titus tries to do whatever he can to spare their lives including cutting his own hand off which turns out to be an unsuccessful gesture (3.1.195-202). In many other parts in the play, it is evident that he is

mad including when he tries to send letters to the gods by shooting arrows, feeding Tamora’s sons to her in a pie, and killing his own daughter.
The play Titus Andronicus and the play Hercules Furens both have a premise of men that go insane and kill their own children.

Hercules is maddened by the twelve labours that he was forced to complete and Titus goes insane because of the war and all of the tragedies that happen to him throughout the play. Titus kills both Lavinia and Mutius while Hercules kills his three children and his wife Megara as well (990-1030). Hercules was in a sort of trance while killing his family, making it seem like it may not have been entirely his fault, but the madness that he was forced into (1137-1150). Titus kills Lavinia and Mutius while he is insane but he is fully aware of what he is doing and it seems that he may have killed both of his children so that there would be no shame on the family. Titus is killed almost immediately after killing Lavinia but Hercules takes time to debate how he should be punished for what he did to his family. Titus is punished by his own son while Hercules has to punish

himself.
Medea is another play that has a premise of killing children along with the play Titus Andronicus. While Medea kills her children, she is not necessarily insane like Titus when he kills his children. Medea is seen more as an evil character that will go to extreme measures to get what she wants or to satisfy herself. She becomes jealous that Jason is marrying another woman and she decides to get back at him in a way that would hurt him the most, killing his children, which also happen to be her own children. Titus kills his children to make sure that no shame came upon his family. Titus is portrayed as a heroic figure that went through a lot of tragedy and went insane while Medea is portrayed as evil and jealous. Medea does not die during the play, she is only exiled. She was not put through a punishment for the crime she committed of killing her children (1020-1029). Titus is killed by Saturninus after killing Lavinia and Tamora. Titus faces repercussions; not necessarily because he kills Lavinia, but because he kills Tamora.