King Victor, having brought the kingdom to the verge of ruin, abdicates and hands the crown to his son, believing him to be a weak-minded person whose mistakes will bring him--Victor--back to the throne, when he can throw upon the young king the responsibility of the mess he has himself made of the kingdom.
Charles turns out to be a strong character, sets right the foreign affairs of the kingdom, and repairs his father's misgovernment.

Then Victor, envious and longing for power, conspires to resume the throne, and taken prisoner, begs back the crown.

Charles, touched as a son, and against his better judgment, restores his father, who immediately and conveniently dies.

It is a play of court intrigue and of politics, and these are not made interesting by any action, such as we call dramatic, in the play.

From end to end there is no inter-movement of public passion.