To begin with: The play begins with two deaths and a very sick king: Gerard de Narbon, an acclaimed doctor, passed away six months ago. The Count of Rossillion has just passed away. The King of France is dying and has refused all medical help, because he believes there is no hope for a recovery.
The new Count of Rossillion, Bertram, is being sent to Paris where he will become the ward of the King. He leaves behind his mother who is the guardian of Helena, the orphan daughter of Gerard de Narbon. At the same time, a civil war breaks out in Tuscany and many of the French nobility plan to travel to Italy to become mercenaries.
Paris
Act I
Florence Rossillion
Scene 1: Rossillion, the Countess’s Palace Scene 2: Paris, the King’s Palace Scene 3: Rossillion, the Countess’s Palace Scene 4: Paris, the King’s Palace Scene 5: Paris, the King’s Palace Scene 6: Rossillion, the Countess’s Palace
Act II Scene 1: Florence, the Street Scene 2: Florence, the Army Camp Scene 3: Florence, the Widow’s Home Scene 4: Florence, the Street Scene 5: Florence, the Widow’s Home Scene 6: Florence, the Army Camp Scene 7: Florence, the Widow’s Home Scene 8: Rossillion, the Countess’s Palace