Widely regarded as being among the best tragedies of the English Renaissance, the play has accumulated a large amount of critical commentary.

[1] The play was licensed for performance by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels, on 7 May 1622, and was first published in 1652 by the bookseller Humphrey Moseley.

The essential point of the dichotomy is that Rowley wrote the subplot and the opening and closing scenes, while Middleton was primarily responsible for the main plot—a division of labour that is unsurprising, given the examples of other Middleton–Rowley collaborations.

The main plot in Alicante ("Alligant") focuses on Beatrice-Joanna; Alonzo, to whom she is betrothed; and Alsemero, whom she loves.

Alsemero proposes to Beatrice, but, in an aside, she regrets that five days ago she was promised in marriage to Alonzo de Piracquo.

She introduces him to Alsemero; knowing the young man's father, Vermandero invites him in to see their castle.

Alsemero is heartbroken hearing talk of Beatrice's fiancé; he plans to leave, but Vermandero insists that he stay.

Then Pedro asks for Lollio to educate and improve the mind of Antonio (who also goes by "Tony," a nickname associated in the Renaissance with madness).

The madmen (who are imprisoned in a different enclosure from the fools) begin shouting for food, and Alibius leaves to attend to them.

After Vermandero informs Alonzo that Beatrice has requested a three-day postponement of their wedding, Tomazo repeats his misgivings.

Beatrice says she expects him to leave the country after the murder; she is pleased that she can get rid of De Flores and Alonzo at the same time.

As he leaves, Antonio reveals to Isabella that he is only pretending to be a fool so as to be admitted into the asylum and gain access to her.

Alibius enters, oblivious to the conversation, and tells them that Vermandero has invited him to make his patients perform (simply as madmen) at Beatrice's wedding.

De Flores explains in meticulous detail exactly why she has to submit to him, mainly that he can now effectively blackmail her or else he will inform everyone how she hired him to murder Alonzo.

Beatrice tells Diaphanta that she will offer 1000 ducats to any virgin if she secretly has sex with her husband Alsemero, instead of her, on their wedding night.

De Flores returns to the stage, heroically carrying Diaphanta's burnt body from the fire.

De Flores is promised financial reward by Vermandero and others for his bravery in alerting everyone to the fire and thereby preventing further damage.

Tomazo, in a sudden fit of misanthropy, decides to blame the next person he sees for the death of his brother (since he holds everyone potentially accountable).

De Flores draws his sword as though to retaliate, but is forcibly reminded of Alonzo's murder, and cannot bring himself to strike.

Vermandero informs Tomazo that he has found Alonzo's murderers—Antonio and Franciscus, who were hiding in a mental asylum after committing the murder.

Vermandero, Alibius, Isabella, Tomazo, and Franciscus enter, thinking they have solved the case of Alonzo's murder.

As Alsemero begins to reveal the truth, screams of pleasure and of pain are heard within the room, and the pair comes out, Beatrice stabbed by De Flores.

The epilogue is a mere eight lines in which Alsemero explains that it is impossible to comfort people after they have lost a person close to them.

In 1974, as part of Play of the Month, the BBC broadcast a production directed by Anthony Page and starring Stanley Baker as De Flores, Helen Mirren as Beatrice-Joanna, Brian Cox as Alsemero, Tony Selby as Jasperino and Susan Penhaligon as Isabella.

In 1994, a version directed by Simon Curtis removed the madhouse subplot and was broadcast by the BBC starring Elizabeth McGovern as Beatrice-Joanna, Bob Hoskins as De Flores, Hugh Grant as Alsemero and Sean Pertwee as Tomazo.

A 1998 film version directed by Marcus Thompson starred Guy Williams as Alonso, Amanda Ray-King as Beatrice-Joanna, Ian Dury as De Flores and Colm O'Maonlai as Alsemero.

Notable stage performances have included the English Stage Company's 1960 production with Mary Ure and Robert Shaw, directed by Tony Richardson, and the 1988 National Theatre production starring Miranda Richardson as Beatrice-Joanna and George Harris as De Flores.

In 2016 Jesse Berger directed the play Off-Broadway at Red Bull Theater, in a production which featured Manoel Felciano and Sara Topham.

Harrison Thomas); then by James Wallis, as The Changeling: A Staged Reading, for his production company Shakespeare BASH'd; then in association with the Stratford Festival of Canada and the School of Performance at Ryerson University, by Paul Yachnin, a professor of English at McGill University, for Early Modern Conversions; and finally by the Stratford Festival, as a full production at the Tom Patterson Theatre (dir.

In 2020, during the UK COVID-19 lockdown, a Radio production of the play was created by the graduation year of the Guildford School of Acting.