- The first scene opens with the ghost of newly dead Don Andrea telling the story of his life and death directly to the audience. He is accompanied by Revenge (Revenge is a personification of revenge).
- He tells us that he was a member of the Spanish royal court who was having a love affair with the very beautiful Bel-Imperia before getting killed in a war with Portugal.
- Andrea says he descended to the river of Acheron (river of the underworld) just after being killed. But Charon denied him access because Andrea's funeral rites were not performed. We can all relate with this, right?
- After getting the velvet rope treatment from Charon, Andrea lingers for three days until his friend, Don Horatio, performs his funeral rites.
- Charon then ferries Andrea to lake Avernus, where Andrea charms Cerberus into letting him pass without further peril—it was the least he could do seeing as Andrea was stuck in Hell's waiting room for three days.
- Andrea then chats with the three dudes who decide where everyone should go in the after life. These three dudes are Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanth.
- After some debate, Aeacus asserts that Andrea should walk with lovers "in our fields of love" because he died while his love was in full bloom (1.1.42).
- But Rhadamanth counters that Andrea should spend his afterlife with warriors, arguing that it is not proper for a warrior to hang eternally with lovers. Let's just assume that there have been some body odor complaints in lover's field.
- Ever the voice of reason, Minos settles the dispute by suggesting that Andrea should go to Pluto to receive his afterlife assignment (this is starting to sound like Beetlejuice).
- On the way to Pluto, Andrea sees horrible sights, like souls burning in lead, lovers embracing with scary snakes all over them, and dudes doing torturous tasks for eternity. Kind of gives new meaning to a living hell, right?
- He finally gets to the Elysian green (this is the home of the blessed) where he meets up with Pluto and his wife, Proserpine.
- The happy couple of infernal doom hear his story, after which Proserpine pleads with Pluto that she might decide the fate of Andrea. Pluto grants Proserpine the honor of deciding Andrea's everlasting fate.
- Proserpine calls for Revenge personified and (poof!) Andrea and Revenge are instantly transported back to the land of the living (Spain, that is).
- After Andrea's long speech, Revenge then tells Andrea (and the audience) that they have returned to see who killed him while also serving as the chorus in this tragedy.
- By this tragedy, Revenge means the very play you are now reading, and the chorus (The Ghost of Andrea and Revenge) will make comments and point out important stuff between the acts of the play.