The Spanish Inquisition arrested Miguel de Cervantes, a poet, playwright, and part-time actor, along with his manservant, in the 1600s. They are being accused of putting on a show that was offensive to the Inquisition. Inside the huge dungeon where Cervantes and his manservant have been put, the other prisoners group up on them and start a fake trial so they can steal or burn his things. Cervantes is desperate to save a manuscript he is carrying with him, so he puts on a strange defense with costumes, makeup, and the help of the other prisoners: the story of Don Quixote.