Act 4, Scene 1 Summary

Bel-Imperia berates Hieronimo for being so slow in taking revenge. She accuses him of not loving his son, says she's only marrying Balthazar out of duty, and adds that if she had her way she'd be ending the lives of Horatio's killers herself. Hieronimo realizes the letter he found earlier which he thought was a trap (Act 3 Scene 2) was actually a truth, begs Bel-Imperia's pardon, and asks for her help in planning his revenge. Bel-Imperia gives him her support, but before he can explain his plan, Balthazar and Lorenzo approach. After an exchange of greetings, they ask for Hieronimo's help in creating an entertainment for the Viceroy. Hieronimo says that when he was a student he wrote a play, rediscovered it recently, and had hopes of getting Balthazar, Lorenzo, and Bel-Imperia to act in it before the King. He comments that...