The scene opens with a soliloquy by the Duke of Abergavenny. He tells the audience that he has come to the city to find a wife for himself. He asks the audience to imagine what it must be like to be a young man in the city, and to imagine that he is in love with a young woman. He says that he does not want to be treated like a servant, and that he wants to be his own man. The Duke tells his wife that she should not be afraid of him, because he will protect her reputation. He also tells her that the Duke has never treated anyone like this before. He adds that the commander has always gotten anyone he wants, and no one has dared to defy him. She tells the Duke that the princess consort is jealous of the Duke, but she is also domineering and jealous of her own power. She says that she will help him to get away from the palace.