Cut off by his father and hounded by creditors, he murders Okichi, the wife of an oil merchant, and flees with stolen money, but is eventually exposed and captured.
親から勘当を受け、借金に責められ、油屋の女房であるお吉を惨殺し、金を奪って逃走するが、ついに事が露見し、とらえられる。