Act 1 starts with the events being narrated in a prologue speech by Moschion, at the outset of the play Nikeratos and Demeas are away on a business trip.

When the play begins Chrysis is overhearing a conversation between Moschion and his father's servant Parmenon regarding the return of Nikeratos and Demeas.

Demeas consults Parmenon about it but his anger frightens the servant into silence and he is unable to gain any reliable information.

When he confronts Chrysis there is a further misunderstanding as Demeas, wishing to keep the scandal secret, does not explicitly say he believes she seduced Moschion, instead he evicts her from his house because she kept the baby.

He questions Moschion who informs Nikeratos that Demeas has evicted Chrysis and eagerly tries to hurry ahead the wedding plans despite the current turmoil.

This specific misunderstanding ignites a debate between the three men, with Nikeratos leaving to remove Chrysis from his house as he has been led to believe the same as Demeas.

Moschion flees the scene and Nikeratos, believing that his wife and daughter have turned against him in support of Chrysis, goes to kill them.

In act 5, despite being reconciled with his adoptive father Moschion is upset that Demeas would think to accuse him of seducing Chrysis, he decides that he is going to leave Athens and join the military.

Given that this is a play driven by miscommunication between characters, the bias of this prologue highlights the distinction between what Moschion leads us to expect and what actually takes place.

The social misdemeanor that sets the events of the play in motion at a fast pace is Moschion's seduction of Plangon.

[6] The reasons for Menander's silence on the matter could stem from a lack of dramatic interest in the child or from conclusions that were self-evident to an ancient audience but not a modern one.

Previously, Greek writers such as Aristophanes used two acts separated by a parabasis, in which all actors exited the stage and the chorus directly addressed the audience.