The play opens with the scene on the wild heath where the three witches appear to Macbeth and Banquo, as they are returning from their victorious battle with the rebels. They predict the kingship of Macbeth with the words, "All Hail, King, that shall be hereafter."

In Renaissance Rome, young Beatrice Cenci dares to defy her tyrannical father. Imprisoned, abused, and betrayed, she plots her father's murder with the help of her lover and a vengeful servant. When justice turns against her, Beatrice faces execution with unflinching dignity. A death that still echoes throughout the centuries as a cry for freedom and justice.