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Ivan's father, Vasili III, fell ill due to an infection in his leg. His dying wish was for his only son to take over the throne when he turned 15, one that the boyars denied. Ivan's mother then took over ruling.
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Ivan's mother Elena died several years after her husband's death, supposedly from poisoning. She had ruled for about 4 years until she died in 1538, leaving Ivan and his brother orphans.
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Ivan condemned the boyars for their abuse towards him when he had no parents. After his parents' deaths, they neglected, molested, and all but abandoned him; save for when there we meetings he was required to attend. He could not lash out for the abuse he suffered, so it drove him to stab animals to death to take out his anger.
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Over the span of his adult life, Ivan married many women. After his first wife Anastasya Romanovna died, he married Maria Temryukovna, Marfa Sobakina, Anna Koltovskaya, Anna Vasilchikova, Vasilisa Melentyeva, and Maria Nagaya.
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Ivan had married his first wife Anastasiya Romanova Zakharyina Yurueva. She died in 1560 due to a lingering illness, leaving him two sons, the only out of 6 she bore that survived infancy.
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After his wife's death, Ivan all but lost his mind. His violent and aggressive habits resurfaced without his beloved wife there to suppress it. He smashed his head into the floor and walls in front of his court and spiraled into a rage, destroying anything he could find. From there until his death, his mental state deteriorated and his cruelty began to reemerge.
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Shortly after the Oprichniki disbanded, Ivan stepped back from ruling and placed one of his generals in charge. He retired to his country home and would intermittently visit the new leader, something that confused others because of its unusual civility.
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Ivan's pregnant daughter in law appeared before him in inappropriate clothing, and in his violent state he attacked her and caused her to lose her baby. When Ivan's son tried to defend her, Ivan killed him, murdering the only viable heir to the throne. His only other child is his other son Fyodor, but he was deemed mentally ill and unfit to lead Russia.
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Ivan began seeking help for his declining mental stability, and he would visit various witch doctors and soothsayers, who would give him different substances to try and cure him of his ailments. It was speculated that he suffered from psychosis, syphilis, and mercury poisoning, results of his antics that contributed to his demise.
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After killing his son and unborn grandson, Ivan flew into madness. He became even more violent and aggressive towards his subjects and court, and decided to leave for good. He abandoned his position as tsar and left it in the hands of his last son, Fyodor, as well as leaving the country in despair and disarray.
