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ACT I

Some time ago, Lord Enrico Ashton had seized power from the Ravenswood

family and killed the head of the family – Edgardo’s father. When a new

monarch ascends the throne, however, Enrico suddenly finds himself a

member of the politically persecuted side and must fear for his life. To save

himself, he determines to arrange the marriage of his sister Lucia, whom he

has shielded from the outside world, to the influential Lord Arturo Bucklaw.

When he informs his close friends of this, Raimondo, Lucia’s tutor, reminds

him how much Lucia is still grieving for her recently deceased mother and

is therefore not capable of even considering marriage. To his great dismay

Enrico then learns from his captain Normanno that, despite her loss, Lucia

has in the meantime fallen head over heels in love with a man she does not

know but who saved her from being attacked by a raging bull. Furthermore

it turns out that this unknown man is none other than Enrico’s mortal

enemy, Edgardo. Boiling with anger, Enrico swears bloody revenge.

As the mentally delicate Lucia awaits her rendezvous with Edgardo, she tells

her companion Alisa of a frightening apparition in which Lucia believes she

saw the ghost of the woman who was murdered by a Ravenswood in a fit

of jealousy and then thrown into the well. However, her love for Edgardo

and the prospect of his imminent arrival soon brighten her mood. Edgardo

rushes in shortly thereafter, only to take his leave of Lucia as he must leave

immediately for France. Lucia is alarmed at his plan to try and reconcile

with Enrico before he leaves and persuades him to abandon it; their love

should remain a secret. As they bid farewell to each other, the two quickly

exchange rings as a token of their vow of love.

ACT II

During Edgardo’s long absence, all his letters to Lucia are intercepted by

Enrico and Normanno and replaced by forgeries. Thus misled, Lucia is

persuaded of Edgardo’s infidelity and submissively agrees to marry Arturo.

Since in spite of everything Lucia wants to remain faithful to Edgardo,

Enrico emphasizes to his sister that her refusal to marry Arturo would mean

the downfall of their family. When Raimondo finally admonishes her to

submit so that her dead mother can rest in peace, in desperation Lucia agrees,

but at the same time longs for death.

At the celebrations for her wedding to Arturo, Lucia, already starting to lose

her mind, must be urged to sign the marriage agreement. Scarcely has she

done so when Edgardo unexpectedly enters the room to demand his rightful

place at Lucia’s side. However, when he learns that the young woman

has already sealed her marriage to Arturo with her signature, in despair

he gives Lucia’s ring back to her and flees to his estate at Wolf’s Crag.

ACT III

A storm is brewing. Furious, Enrico leaves the wedding and in the middle of

the night seeks out his rival in his tower at Wolf’s Crag. Driven by hatred,

vengeance and jealousy, the two men agree to fight a duel at daybreak at

the Ravenswood tombs.

In the meantime, losing her senses Lucia has stabbed Arturo in the bridal

chamber. In a state of complete mental disarray, she enters the ballroom,

still filled with guests. In a vision she first sees her marriage to Edgardo

and begs her lover, who is not present, to forgive her and to mourn at her

grave. With his sister’s madness now evident, the returning Enrico realizes

too late that he is to blame.

Edgardo awaits the duel with Enrico at the tombs of the Ravenswoods.

He learns from several passers-by that Lucia has lost her mind, is on her

deathbed and is asking plaintively for him. Edgardo sets out immediately

to see his beloved one more time, but Raimondo comes to meet him and

confirms that she has already died, as signalled by the chiming death knell.

In the hope of being finally united with Lucia, Edgardo stabs himself.