1. Titus returns from battle and is on stage telling the people of his victory.
2. His son Lucias is back stage holding a bloody sword where he tells titus what him and his brother done to one of Tamara’s daughter.
3. They had cut his limbs off and thrown them on the sacrifice fire.
4. Titus says he’s flattered but he’s way too old and tired to rule Rome. After ten long years of military service, Titus just wants to retire in peace.
5.Now that it’s obvious that Titus doesn’t want to rule Rome, Bassianus throws his hat back into the ring and asks Titus for his support
6.Titus asks the people and the tribunes to let him choose the next emperor and they agree.
7.Titus names Saturninus as the new emperor.
Saturninus accepts the title and offers to marry Lavinia as a thank you to Titus.
8. Saturninus sees Tamora and immediately regrets his engagement to Lavinia.
9.Bassianus grabs Lavinia and runs off with her.
10.Titus’s sons (Lucius, Quintus, and Martius) help him get away while Mutius guards the door, blocking Titus from chasing after them.
11.Titus kills him for getting in the way and demands that Lavinia be returned.
12. Saturninus says not to bother as he doesn’t want to marry into titus’ traitorous family.
13. Titus is crushed and feels completely disgraced.
14.Saturninus turns to Tamora and announces he wants to marry her.

Quote 1: ‘Who, when my heart, all mad with misery,
Beats in this hollow prison of my flesh,
Then thus I thump it down. Thou map of woe, that thus dost talk in signs!
When thy poor heart beats with outrageous beating,
Thou canst not strike it thus to make it still.
Wound it with sighing, girl, kill it with groans;
Or get some little knife between thy teeth,
And just against thy heart make thou a hole,
That all the tears that thy poor eyes let fall
May run into that sink, and soaking in,
Drown the lamenting fool in sea-I salt tears.’ – Act 3 scene 2
-great personification of the imprisoned heart