Through the childhood and adolescence of Signor Giacomo Casanova (from his memoirs), this is a description of how people lived in 18th-century Venice: their customs, habits, medicine, religion, and--most of all--the omnipresence of hypocrisy.
A man is delighted to hear that his wife is pregnant and he begins to prepare for the wonders of fatherhood. As time progresses along, the family grows larger with each successive child and the father feels his importance in the family has been lessened with all the children. This man's quiet desperation to hold onto his position is an interesting lesson in the family dynamic and how everyone is an important part of the whole.
Caterina finds out that her husband Peter Tzar of Russia, is plotting to kill her. She sets Count Orlov free from prison, Peter's sworn enemy, becomes empress of Russia and leads the Cossacks army against him.
The Dumas story about Siamese twins separated at birth but who have a strong psychic link.
An old king believes he can retire to private life, leaving his kingdom in the hands of his daughters. The two older ones don't take long to take over everything and reduce their father to a poor tramp. But the third daughter who married the king of France comes to the rescue. After a furious battle, a hecatomb takes place. Lear dies and with him his whole dynasty.