Floria and Mario are in love and determined to defend their free love affair. But the combined effects of Floria's jealousy and religious and political oppression bring all three protagonists to a tragic end. The drama, in which the music highlights the character's psychological makeup, is underscored by the fear of God as a tool of political domination and social manipulation. Tosca relates how a prima donna's suspicions determine her lover's fate. The ageless heroine Tosca is a turn of the century femme fatale but also the embodiment of the committed modern woman. She clashes with Scarpia, the ruthless, sadistic police chief who has one fatal weakness: the diva herself.