The film tells the story of Kean, a very important British actor who specialized in Shakespeare's oeuvres. Kean has a lot of admirers, but in spite of his fame, he is without money. He is in love with the married Countess of Keffeld, who uses Kean for her own purposes. The end of the film is different from the end of the play. In the film, Kean, who has become poor and abandonned by the society, dies in the arms of the countess.