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Act 1

Scene 1: Katerina's room

Katerina is unhappily married to Zinovy, a provincial flour-merchant. She complains to herself of her loneliness. Her father-in-law Boris, angered at her attitude in response to his saying that mushrooms are his favourite dish, says it is her fault for not producing an heir. She replies that Zinovy cannot give her a child, which Boris disdains; he warns her against seducing a youthful lover. Zinovy is called away on business and Boris – against his son's inclinations – makes Katerina publically swearÌýto be faithful. A servant, Aksinya, tells Katerina about the womanising new clerk, Sergei.

Scene 2: The Izmailovs' yard

Sergei and his comrades are sexually harassing Aksinya. Katerina intervenes, berating him for his machismo and asserting that women are as brave and capable as men. Sergei is willing to prove her wrong and they wrestle; she is thrown down and Sergei falls on top of her. Boris appears. She says that she tripped and Sergei in trying to help her, fell down also. The other peasants back her up. Boris however is suspicious and roars at the peasants, telling them to get back to work before ordering Katerina to fry some mushrooms for him and threatening to tell Zinovy all about her behaviour.

Scene 3: Katerina's room

Katerina prepares to go to bed. Sergei knocks on her door with the excuse that he wants to borrow a book because he cannot sleep but Katerina has none as she cannot read. She goes to close the door on him but he continues in his attempt to seduce her by remembering their wrestling match earlier that day. He suggests a rematch and, disregarding her protestations, seizes her. She acquiesces to his advances and a notoriously graphic musical passage depicts their sexual act. Following this, she tells him to leave but he refuses. She agrees to embark on an affair with him. Boris knocks on the door confirm that Katerina is in bed and locks her in. Trapped in the room together, the two make love.

Act 2

Scene 4: The yard, a week later

Boris, unable to sleep due to unease about thieves being on the prowl, is walking in the courtyard in the pre-dawn darkness. He, remembering his own youthful days as a rake and knowing Zinovy's low libido, is considering seducing Katerina himself to fulfill his son's marital duties. He spots Sergei climbing out of Katerina's window. He catches him and publicly whips him as a burglar, then has him locked up. Katerina witnesses this but cannot stop him because she remains locked in her room. When finally she manages to climb down the eavestrough-drainpipe the other servants restrain her on Boris's order. Exhausted from beating Sergei, Boris demands some dinner, saying that he will whip Sergei again the next day. He dispatches a servant to tell Zinovy there's trouble at home and that he must return. Katerina adds rat-poison to some mushrooms and gives them to him. As he is dying she retrieves the keys to free Sergei. The morning shift of workers find Boris in agony and follow his orders to fetch a priest. The priest arrives and Boris tries in vain to tell him that he was poisoned. He falls back dead, pointing at Katerina. Katerina, weeping crocodile tears, convinces him that Boris accidentally ate poisonous mushrooms and he says a prayer over Boris's body.

Scene 5: Katerina's room

Katerina and Sergei are together. Sergei querulously says that their affair will have to end due to Zinovy's impending return and wishes he and Katerina could marry – Katerina assures him that they'll marry but refuses to tell him how she'll arrange it. Sergei falls asleep but Katerina is tormented by Boris' ghost and cannot sleep. Later she hears Zinovy returning. He has been called back by one of the servants with the news of his father's death. Sergei tries to hide but Zinovy sees his trousers and belt and guesses the truth. As he and Katerina quarrel, he whips her with the belt. Hearing Katerina's cries, Sergei emerges and confronts Zinovy, who tries to escape and call the servants. Katerina and Sergei strangle Zinovy and Sergei finishes him off with a blow to the head from a heavy candlestick. The lovers hide the corpse in the wine-cellar.

Act 3

Scene 6: Near the cellar

Following Zinovy's disappearance he has been presumed dead. Katerina and Sergei prepare to get married but she is tormented by the fact that Zinovy's corpse is hidden in the wine cellar. Sergei reassures her and they leave for the wedding ceremony. A drunken peasant breaks into the cellar, finds Zinovy's body and goes to fetch the police.

Scene 7: The police station

The police are trying to distract themselves from their anger at not being invited to the wedding by tormenting a "nihilist" schoolteacher over hisÌýatheismÌýwhen the peasant arrives and gives them the opportunity for revenge.

Scene 8: The Izmailov garden

Everyone is drunk at the wedding. Katerina sees that the cellar door is open and attempts to escape with Sergei when the police arrive.

Act 4

Scene 9: A temporary convict camp near a bridge

Katerina, Sergei and a group of other convicts are on the road to Siberia. Katerina bribes a guard to allow her to meet Sergei. She tries to cuddle up to him but he angrily rejects her, blaming her for his dire situation. After she leaves, Sergei tries to seduce another convict, Sonyetka. She demands a pair of stockings as her price and Sergei tricks Katerina into giving him hers. Katerina watches as Sergei triumphantly carries off Sonyetka, the taunts of the other convicts ringing in her ears. Upon their return, Katerina pushes Sonyetka off a bridge into the freezing waters below before throwing herself in as well. The convicts are quickly marched away as the two women are borne off by the strong current.

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