The tragic narrative centers on the star-crossed love between Edwy and Elgiva, whose union is violently opposed by the ecclesiastical and political powers of 10th-century England. The protagonists struggle to maintain their bond amidst the machinations of Dunstan, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who views their marriage as a direct challenge to his authority. Burney employs a formal, dramatic structure to explore the tension between personal devotion and the rigid demands of religious and state institutions. The narrative follows the inevitable decline of the lovers as they are pursued by those determined to enforce their separation through exile and physical violence.

This work is regarded as a significant, if lesser-known, example of Frances Burney's foray into historical drama. The play highlights her ability to translate her keen observation of social dynamics into the heightened, often rigid, structure of a tragic stage production. Critics often note that the text serves as a window into the author's preoccupation with the constraints placed upon individuals by powerful, unyielding institutions. The writing suggests a deliberate attempt to marry historical fact with the emotional intensity required by the tragic genre, resulting in a work that remains a subject of interest for scholars of 18th-century literature.