Prussia, 1730: Crown Prince Frederick, the future Frederick II, wants to flee to France to escape the relentless strictness of his father, the "Soldier King" Frederick William I. But the escape plan fails, and Frederick's friend, Lieutenant Hans Hermann von Katte (Jan Niklas), is sentenced to death by the Prussian king. Despite all pleas for clemency, Frederick is also sentenced by his father to solitary confinement in the Küstrin fortress, narrowly escaping the death sentence. In Küstrin, Frederick reflects on the events of his life so far. After a trip to the Dresden Carnival, where the 16-year-old Crown Prince experienced his first love affair, the heir to the throne loses all interest in politics and warfare. He devotes himself entirely to literature, poetry, and the finer things in life, thereby further intensifying his father's anger. Fueled by constant punishment, Friedrich eventually feels only hatred towards his father and harbors plans to escape to France.