The frivolous Duke of Mantua courts the Countess Ceprano at a ball. The court jester Rigoletto mocks her jealous husband. There is a sharp clash between the jester and Count Ceprano. The courtiers keep the count: the jester can be avenged in another way - Rigoletto has a charming lover, whom he carefully guards from prying eyes. A conspiracy is being plotted against Rigoletto.
Enter old Count Monterone. He wants revenge - his daughter is dishonored by the duke. Rigoletto laughs mockingly and mimics the old man's angry speech. The arrested Monterone curses the duke and the jester. Rigoletto is crushed by the terrible words of the curse.
In a small house lives the one who is considered Rigoletto's beloved - his beloved daughter Gilda.
Gilda repents that she hid from her father her meeting with a handsome young man who called himself
a poor student and accompanied her to church.
A disguised duke, a new acquaintance of Gilda, secretly enters the garden and assures the girl of love. The maid, who was given a purse with money by the duke, warns the lovers of the danger. The Duke disappears.
A group of courtiers led by Count Ceprano approaches the house, all of them wearing masks. Inviting Rigoletto to take part in the kidnapping of Countess Ceprano, they deceive him and actually kidnap Gilda.
Rigoletto falls unconscious when he learns that it is not the Countess Ceprano who has been kidnapped, but his daughter.
The Duke is dejected by the mysterious disappearance of Gilda. The courtiers cheerfully talk about the abduction of Rigoletto's "beloved". She is here in the palace. It becomes clear to the Duke that it is Gilda. He hurries to her.
Grief-stricken, Rigoletto begs the courtiers to tell him where the girl they have stolen is. They bully him.
Gilda runs out of the duke's room. In anguish, Rigoletto listens to her mournful story. The jester sees the guards leading Count Monterone to prison. Rigoletto takes an oath to take revenge on the duke for both Gilda and the count's daughter.
The tavern of Sparafucillo and his sister - the beautiful Maddalena, to whom the duke should come for a date. Knowing this, Rigoletto brought Gilda here. Gilda hears the duke swearing love to Maddalena and promising her to marry her. Rigoletto persuades his daughter to change into a man's dress and flee to Verona. He will stay here to take revenge on the duke.
Rigoletto conspires with Sparafucillo to kill his guest. Maddalena begs her brother to deceive Rigoletto and kill the first person to enter the tavern. Gilda hears this conversation and decides to sacrifice her life to save her beloved. In a man's dress, she enters the tavern, Sparafucillo, mistaking her for a young man, stabs her with a knife, and hands Rigoletto a bag with a corpse.
Rigoletto rejoices: he has avenged himself! The jester carries the bag to the river - and hears the duke's song. The Duke is alive?
Rigoletto, horrified, unties the sack. In front of him is a mortally wounded Gilda. She dies in her father's arms.
