A ballet based on Shakespeare's tragicomedy that focuses on King Leontes, who accuses his boyhood friend of betrayal, condemns his wife for adultery, and banishes his newborn daughter. The story is taken up fifteen years later when the wronged and innocent parties are re-united with the king who has since come to his senses and now lives in a state of perpetual grief and regret.

For two brothers, the daily grind of bullies and mean teachers is nothing compared to the mortification they feel when they come to understand their good-natured father's low-rung social status. A blithe portrait of the financial and psychological toils of one family, from the standpoint of a couple of stubborn little boys.

A millionaire tries to teach his daughter a lesson by telling her that he has been ruined, to save her from the man with whom she is planning to elope.

In the film, Baruch, the son of a rabbi, becomes fascinated by the theater. Against his father's wishes, Baruch leaves home and finds his way to Vienna, where an archduchess at the imperial court falls in love with him. She becomes his patron, facilitating his successful career as a classical actor. However, Baruch continues to long for home, and must find a way to reconcile his religious heritage with his love of secular literature.