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Japanese marriage broker Goro finds a bride for American naval officer Benjamin Pinkerton, fifteen-year-old Cio-Cio-San, known as Madama Butterfly. Pinkerton proudly tells the consul, Sharpless, that he has found the ideal woman…until the time comes to marry an American. Sharpless tries to warn him that Butterfly is taking their marriage a lot more seriously. Pinkerton refuses to listen, and marries his Butterfly. Three years have passed since Pinkerton left Nagasaki. Three years of Butterfly waiting for her officer. Finally Sharpless brings the news that Pinkerton is coming back, but: with the American woman he has now married. Sharpless cautiously inquires what he will do if her husband does not return to her, whereupon Butterfly leaves the room in shock. She returns with her son: Pinkerton cannot possibly abandon his own child, right? Finally, when a cannon shot announces the arrival of Pinkerton’s ship, Butterfly waits for him all night. She doesn’t fall asleep until morning. Pinkerton arrives and sees evidence of love in Butterfly’s patient wait. He flees the house full of remorse. Butterfly wakes up and sees Kate, Pinkerton’s wife, standing in the garden. She understands that Pinkerton has come and she is willing to give up her child to him and Kate, on the condition that he comes to pick up his son himself. She says goodbye to her child, takes her father’s dagger and stabs herself to death.