The quote describes a person who, in a moment of madness, took drastic and unexpected actions. Specifically, he initiated a trial against his own sons, accusing them of serious misconduct with malicious intent. This reveals a situation marked by chaos and irrational behavior, highlighting a disturbing deviation from normal judgment.

The author, Lawrence Durrell, presents this scene from his book "Justine" to illustrate the chaos that can occur when sanity breaks down. The act of turning against one's own children demonstrates the depths of this person's instability and the tragic consequences of such irrational decisions during a crisis.