Zampanò, a violent-tempered man, makes his living as an itinerant fire-swallower. He buys Gelsomina, a naïve young woman for 10,000 lire, and she becomes his assistant. She’s forced to become his lover, but she tries to run away, as she is constantly abused by him. She meets il Matto (‘The Fool’) in a circus; he is a talented artist and a clown, and he teases and humiliates Zampanò whenever he can. During a quarrel, Zampanò accidentally kills Il Matto. Following the murder, Gelsomina is driven crazy. Zampanò abandons her while she is taking a nap. Some years later, he overhears a woman singing a tune Gelsomina often played and he learns that Gelsomina died. Zampanò gets drunk and wanders to the beach, where he becomes fully aware of being lonely. He breaks down and cries on the deserted beach.