Isabella falls in love with Lorenzo, a young man employed by her family. Her proud brothers are concerned only about family honour, wanting her to marry a rich man, so they murder Lorenzo and bury his body in the forest. Lorenzo appears to Isabella in a vision and tells her the story of what has happened to him. Guided by the ghost, Isabella discovers the body, digs it up and cuts off the head, burying it in a pot which she plants with basil.