Two men want to test the fidelity of their wives and make a bet that they will stand firm. The women have to fend off violent attacks from the men, who in the end bring down the fortress of their loyalty. But the men, as part of the experiment, did not expect that they, too, could be unfaithful to their wives and their feelings. Cheating, confusing, lying - to others and to oneself - is grotesquely funny and cruel at the same time. Some worry less about the new situation (Guglielmo and Dorabella), others struggle to the point of exhaustion (Fiordiligi and Ferrando). The closing ceremony is intended to cement the social status quo and bring the new freedom to its knees. But the marriage is only a sham, and beneath the surface of tradition rumbles.,