The film is set during the French Revolution. A young law student, André-Louis Moreau (played by Ramon Novarro), seeks to avenge the unjust killing of his friend, Philippe de Vilmorin, by an aristocrat, the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr (Lewis Stone). To pursue his plans, he must evade the authorities, leading him to disguise himself as "Scaramouche," a roguish clown character in a travelling commedia dell'arte theatre troupe. Through a series of adventures, Moreau becomes an outlaw and a revolutionary leader, eventually mastering swordsmanship to challenge the Marquis.