An esteemed Moorish general in the Venetian army, married to a noblewoman, falls prey to the treacherous schemes of his ensign, who, enraged at being passed over for promotion, engineers a campaign of lies and manipulated evidence to make him believe his wife has been unfaithful with a loyal lieutenant; consumed by jealousy and mistrust, the general smothers his wife, only to learn too late of the ensign's deceit and betrayals, leading to the tragic exposure of the villain and the general's own ruin.