By 1820, Edmund Kean is the most admired Shakespearan actor       But if his art is peerless, his free lifestyle is ill thought of, particularly by the high society       Kean has fallen passionately in love with Countess Elena de Koefeld, the wife of the ambassador of Denmark       Elena loves him too but hesitates to give up her rank in society and follow Kean       On the other hand, Anna, a rich heiress who refuses to marry Lord Mewill, the husband chosen by her parents, confesses her love for Kean and decides to become an actress like him                   The aristocrats, outraged by Edmund's profligate ways, decide to boycott his performances and his career is broken       Kean does not recover from such a blow and, on a stormy night, dies in Elena's arms