Gough had earlier been a member of the King's Men, and had been part of the cast of that company's production of Ford's The Lover's Melancholy in late 1628 or 1629.
The Queen of Aragon (otherwise unnamed) intercedes at the last moment, and learns that Alphonso's rebellion is rooted in his pathological misogyny; the prospect of being ruled by a woman was too much for him to bear.
The play's secondary plot deals with the love affair of the Queen's general Velasco, the valiant soldier who defeated Alphonso, and the widow Salassa.
Salassa indulges in her power over Velasco by asking him to give up all combat and conflict, or even wearing a sword and defending his reputation, for a period of two years.
Before the duel can take place, however, the assembled courtiers protest the proceeding, and Muretto steps forward to explain his role in manipulating Alphonso's mind.
Finally, Alphonso is convinced of the Queen's innocence, and repents his past harshness; their rocky relationship reaches a new tolerance and understanding.
The play's comic relief is supplied by a group of minor characters – two quarrelling followers of Alphonso, the astrologer Pynto and a bluff captain named Bufo; plus Velasco's servant Mopas and the matchmaker/bawd Madame Shaparoon.