Set in Italy General Titus Andronicus returns to Rome after defeating the Goths in a decade long campaign and the citizens of Rome conisder him to be a hero of the people.

With him now that he is in Rome he has brought with him some captives including Tamora, Queen of the Goths and her three sons, Alarbus, Demetrius and Chiron. Tamora has also brought with her, her lover Aaron, who is a Moor.

During the war General Titus lost many sons and to pay homage to them Lucius, one of his three living sons, suggests a human sacrifice.

Titus agrees and offers Alarbus, Tamora's eldest son. Needless to say Alarbus dies a gruesome death.

Saturninus is crowned and frees Tamora and her sons because he is smitten by the Queen. Saturninus was supposed to marry Titus's daughter but instead makes Tamora empress and she begins plotting revenge against Titus for killing her eldest. Tamora's two sons rape Lavinia and mutilate her by cutting off her hands and cutting out her tongue.

Lavinia, finally, informs Titus and others about her rape and mutilation by writing in sand with a stick held in her mouth. Tamora has a baby. It is obviously Aaron's because it has the dark complexion of a Moor.

Tamora wants her baby killed so the emperor doesn't find out about it. Instead Aaron kills anyone that knows of the baby's existence and substitutes a white baby for his. Aaron takes his child to the Goths to have them raise it. By now, Lucius is marching on Rome with his army of Goths. Aaron and his baby, who have been captured, appear. Aaron agrees to tell all he knows if his child is allowed to live. Titus then starts his revenge and cuts the throats of Tamora's sons Demetrius and Chiron, and has a pie prepared of their entrails and serves it to Saturninus and Tamora. Then Titus kills his own daughter Lavinia to put her out of her misery, then he kills Tamora. Saturninus in retaliation kills Titus, and Lucius kills Saturninus. Lucius takes command of Rome as the new emperor and finally kills Aaron.