Two generals, Macbett and Banco, put down a rebellion. In payment for their heroic service, Archduke Duncan promises to bestow on them land, titles and cash, but he reneges on the deal. Encouraged by the seductive Lady Duncan, Macbett plots to assassinate the Archduke and crown himself King. Trying to maintain his tenuous grip on the throne through a vicious cycle of murder and bloodshed, Macbett is haunted by the ghosts of his victims and discovers that his new wife is not all that she seems.