The story unfolds on a country estate owned by the retired civil servant Peter Sorin, where his sister, the famous actress Irina Arkadina, is visiting with her lover, the celebrated novelist Boris Trigorin. Arkadina's son, Constantine Treplieff, an aspiring playwright, stages an avant-garde experimental play starring the young and impressionable Nina Zarietchnaya, with whom Constantine is deeply in love. The performance is abruptly cut short when Arkadina mocks the unorthodox style, plunging Constantine into deep despair and fueling his fierce resentment toward the established theatrical conventions represented by his mother and Trigorin.
As the days pass, the romantic and artistic tensions among the inhabitants intensify. Constantine, desperate for Nina's affection, kills a sea-gull in a moment of despair and lays it at her feet, prophesying his own ruin. Nina, however, becomes completely captivated by Trigorin's fame and charm, eventually running away with him to Moscow. Meanwhile, Masha, the estate manager's daughter, suffers through her own unrequited love for Constantine and ultimately marries the schoolteacher Medviedenko out of despair, while the local doctor Dorn remains a calm observer of the surrounding emotional turmoil.
Years later, the characters gather once more at the estate. Trigorin has achieved continued success but remained trapped in his routine, while Nina's life has taken a tragic turn. She returns to the estate briefly after having a child with Trigorin that died, and after enduring a harsh career as a struggling actress in provincial theatres. Although she has suffered immensely, Nina has finally found resilience through her art, recognizing that endurance is more important than mere fame or glory.
During a card game in the main house, Constantine sits alone in his study reviewing his writings and reflecting on the true nature of art and expression. When Nina visits him secretly through the window, they share a poignant reunion where she recites lines from the play performed years ago before departing into the stormy night. Left alone once more and overwhelmed by the finality of her rejection, Constantine retreats to his room, where he takes his own life just as his companions are preparing to enjoy an evening of supper and games.
