This anonymous manuscript is part of volume FF 9313 of the Soleinne collection (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits). In 1739, Philippe Quinault and Jean-Baptiste Lully’s tragedy Alceste ou Le Triomphe d'Alcide (Alceste or Alcide’s Victory, 1674) had just been staged again. In 1728, Dominique Biancolelli and Jean-Antoine Romagnesi had performed another parody of this play – this time for actors of the Comédie-Italienne.

Alcide (Alcides) is in love with Alceste (Alcestis) and grieves when she marries Admète (Admetus). Straton learns that Céphise is leaving him, since she loves Licas now. Lycomède (Lycomedes), another character in love with Alceste, is planning a party in honour of the newly-wed—Admète and Alceste. He abducts Alceste, taking her to his ship guarded by his sister Thétis, who unleashes a tempest soon stopped by Eole (Aeolus). Licomède holds Alceste captive, but Alcide and Admète arrive with an army to set her free. The assailants win the battle, but Admète is mortally wounded. Apollon (Apollo) announces that he will come back to life if someone agrees to die in his stead: Alceste decides to sacrifice herself. Alcide makes her cross the Styx. Pluton (Pluto) does not care about Alceste’s sacrifice. Alcide arrives and asks for Alceste; she is handed back to him. Licas and Straton ask Céphise to choose between them, then the three of them agree that you should not marry if you want to stay in love. At first, Alcide wants to assert his rights over Alceste; however, he renounces when he witnesses the sorrow of the two lovers: he gives Alceste back to Admète.