France, in the eighteenth century
ACT I
Spring has come to Amiens.
Students gather in the town square, celebrating school's end. The young Chevalier des Grieux keeps apart from the general flirtation, despite his friend Edmondo's teasing invitation. During their banter, a carriage arrives with a beautiful young woman, a sergeant, and an elderly man of obvious station: Manon, her brother Lescaut, and Geronte di Ravoir, the king's tax collector. They are staying at the inn for the night.
Des Grieux, smitten at first glance, introduces himself to Manon. He coaxes her into a brief rendezvous later. She tells him she is being sent to a convent.
At the inn, Edmondo overhears Lescaut and Geronte chatting. Geronte discloses his substantial wealth and appreciation of Manon, while Lescaut lets drop Manon's indifference to taking the veil; the convent is her father's idea. An understanding is quickly reached: Geronte will steal off with Manon that night in a coach. Lescaut then busies himself fleecing students in a card game.
Edmondo reports Geronte's plans to Des Grieux, and they hatch a scheme to persuade Manon to leave with Des Grieux instead—in Geronte's coach. Manon is willing, and the two flee. Geronte is furious, but Lescaut, ever the gambler, bets his sister will soon tire of Des Grieux's poverty, especially if a better offer presents itself.
ACT II
In Geronte's grand Parisian home, Manon wears the finest clothes and jewelry but is far from happy with her fortune. To cheer her, Lescaut reminds her of her days of hardship with the penniless Des Grieux, but Manon confesses she still loves Des Grieux. Lescaut has seen her old love recently—Des Grieux hopes to raise enough money gambling to provide for Manon—so he offers to arrange a meeting.
That evening's entertainment—a madrigal group and minuet—so bores Manon that she pours out her feelings for Des Grieux in a song she addresses to Geronte. Des Grieux appears and reproaches Manon for leaving him, but she warms his heart with declarations of her love. Geronte discovers them locked in an embrace; in defiant explanation, Manon holds a mirror up to the aged Geronte. He storms off, and Manon and Des Grieux consider their future together. Lescaut bursts in with the news that Geronte has denounced Manon to the police and urges the two to flee immediately. But Manon delays to gather her jewels, and the lovers are apprehended.
ACT III
In the harbor at Le Havre, a ship waits to deport a cargo of "undesirables" to Louisiana. Des Grieux and Lescaut try to rescue Manon, who is among the deportees. Their attempt fails. Shamed as a prostitute and thief, Manon is paraded before the public with the other prisoners. Des Grieux, desperate to join Manon in exile, pleads with the ship's captain to take him aboard.
ACT IV
Alone in the arid wilderness of the New World, Manon and Des Grieux are on the run once again. Manon sends a reluctant Des Grieux off to search for water, but there is none. He returns and watches, grief-stricken, as she is overtaken by thirst and dies in his arms.