Act I, Scene 1 – Madame Larina’s Garden. Madame Larina, Olga, and the nurse are finishing off the party dresses and gossiping about Tatiana’s coming birthday festivities. Madame Larina speculates on the future and reminisces about her own lost beauty and youth. Girls from the neighbourhood arrive, their greetings and chatter are interrupted by gunshots.

Lensky, a young poet engaged to Olga, arrives and tells them there is no cause for alarm, he was hunting with a friend from St. Petersburg. He introduces Onegin, who, bored with the city, has come to see if the country can offer him any distraction. Tatiana, full of youthful and romantic fantasies, falls in love with the elegant stranger, so different from the country people she knows. Onegin, on the other hand, sees only a coltish country girl who reads too many romantic novels.

Scene 2 – Tatiana’s Bedroom Tatiana, her imagination aflame with impetuous first – love dreams of Onegin, writes him a passionate love – letter which she gives the nurse to deliver.

Act II, Scene 1 – Tatiana’s Birthday The provincial gentry have come to celebrate Tatiana’s birthday. They gossip about Lensky’s infatuation with Olga, and whisper prophecies of a dawning romance between Tatiana and the newcomer. Onegin finds the company boring. Stifling his yawns, he finds it difficult to be civil to them; furthermore he is irritated by Tatiana’s letter which he regards merely as an outburst of adolescent love. In a quiet moment, he tears up her letter. Tatiana’s distress, instead of awaking pity merely increases his irritation.

Prince Gremin, a distant relation, appears. He is in love with Tatiana, and Madame Larina hopes for a brilliant match; But Tatiana troubled with her own heart, hardly notices her kindly and elderly relation.
Onegin, in his boredom, decides to provoke Lensky by flirting with Olga who lightheadedly joins in the teasing. But Lensky takes the matter with passionate seriousness. He challenges Onegin to a duel.

Scene 2 – The Duel Tatiana and Olga try to reason with Lensky, but his high romantic ideals are shattered by the betrayal of his friend and fickleness of his fried beloved; he insists that the duel take place. Onegin kills his fried and for the first time his cold heart is moved by the horror of his deed. Tatiana realized that her love was an illusion, and that Onegin is self – centered and empty.

Act III, Scene 1 – St. Petersburg. Years later, Onegin having travelled the world in an attempt to escape from his own futility returns to St. Petersburg where he is received at a ball in the place of Prince Gremin. Gremin has recently married, and Onegin is astonished to recognize in the stately and elegant young princess, Tatiana, the uninteresting little country girl whom he once turned away. The enormity of his mistake and loss engulfs him. His life now seems even more aimless and empty.

Scene 2 – Tatiana’s Boudoir.Tatiana reads a letter from Onegin which reveals his love. Suddenly he stands before her impatient to know her answer. Tatiana sorrowfully tells him that although she still feels her passionate girlhood love for him, she is now a woman, and she could never find happiness or respect with him. She orders him to leave her forever.

Act 1

Madame Larina's garden

In the garden, Madame Larina, her daughters Olga and Tatiana, and the nurse are finishing party dresses and discussing Tatiana's upcoming birthday celebrations. They think about the future, and the local girls play an old folk game: whoever looks into the mirror will see her beloved. Lensky, a young poet engaged to Olga, arrives with a friend from Saint Petersburg. He introduces Eugene Onegin, who has come to the country to see if it can offer him any distraction from city life. Tatiana falls in love with the handsome stranger, who seems so different from the country people she knows, while Onegin only sees a naive, romantic girl.

Tatiana's bedroom

That night, Tatiana dreams of Onegin, her first love. She writes him a passionate love letter, which she asks her nurse to deliver.

Act 2

Tatiana's birthday

The local gentry have all arrived to celebrate Tatiana's birthday. Onegin finds the company boring and is struggling to be polite. He is also annoyed by Tatiana's letter, which he thinks is just an outburst of adolescent love. He seeks Tatiana out and tears up her letter, telling her that he cannot love her. Prince Gremin, a distant relative of Tatiana who is in love with her, appears. Madame Larina hopes they will make a good match, but Tatiana hardly notices him as she is so distressed. Onegin decides to provoke Lensky by flirting with Olga, hoping it will relieve his boredom. Olga joins in with the joke, but Lensky takes it seriously and challenges Onegin to a duel.

The duel

Tatiana and Olga try to reason with Lensky but he insists the duel must go ahead. Onegin kills his friend.

Act 3

St Petersburg

Years later, Onegin returns to St. Petersburg after travelling the world. He goes to a ball at the palace of Prince Gremin. Onegin is surprised when he recognises the beautiful Princess Tatiana as the country girl he once turned away. He realises how much he lost through his previous actions.

Tatiana's boudoir

Onegin writes to Tatiana and reveals his love. He asks to see her but she does not wish to see him. She pleads with her husband not to leave her alone that evening. Onegin comes and declares his love for her. Tatiana feels Onegin's change of heart has come too late. And even if she still loves him she has now a new life with Prince Gremin and also after having killed Lensky she would never want Onegin again. She tears up his letter and orders him to leave her forever.