time, Antonio, the lowly lover of the deceased Duchess, returns from banishment. Because he and the Duchess had been together and had children, his son is believed to be the Duchess's eldest son and therefore the heir to the throne of Amalfi (or Malfi, as the play calls it). He claims the throne—although this is against the wishes of his father, Antonio, because Antonio believes that the "court of princes" is corrupt and leads to nothing good.

Interestingly, the text leaves open several other avenues that could occur and some which may be more fitting. For instance, with Antonio counseling his son not to take the riches and throne because of corruption, his son could indeed refuse the throne. At the same time, the text mentions another son of the Duchess (by her first marriage). It is possible that this son has the true claim to the throne. If that were the case, he could swoop in, and the parties could use his arrival to resolve their disputes with Antonio's son graciously, giving him the throne in return for financial security—leading to a peaceful and moral resolution.