Count Albrecht has fallen in love with Giselle, a peasant girl, though she believes him to be a villager named Loys.  Hilarion also loves Giselle but when he declares his love, he is rebuffed by Giselle and ordered by Loys to leave.  Giselle's friends return from the orchards and ask Giselle and Loys to join in their dance.  Berthe scolds her delicate daughter that she might overtire herself and die just like the Wilis, maidens of lore who loved dancing and died before their wedding day.

       Wilfred, Albrecht's squire, warns him of the approach of a hunting party.  They leave just as the party arrives with the Duke of Courland and his daughter Bathilde, Albrecht's future bride.  They ask for refreshments and rest at Berthe's cottage.  Bathilde, is charmed by Giselle's dancing and discovering that Giselle is also engaged, gives her a necklace.  Before entering the cottage, the Duke orders a hunting horn to be left outside.  Hilarion breaks into Loys cottage and discovers his sword, proving that Loys is a nobleman.  He hides when the villagers and Albrecht return to crown Giselle as the Queen of the Grape Harvest.

       

       Motivated by his jealousy, Hilarion appears with the sword and tells Giselle the truth.  When Hilarion summons the Duke and Bathilde with the hunting horn, they are shocked to see Albrecht dressed like a peasant.  Shattered by the knowledge of her lover's betrayal, Giselle's ability to reason disintegrates.  As Albrecht watches in dismay, her already weak heart fails and she dies.

       Hilarion is keeping a vigil by Giselle's grave but flees in terror at the approach of the Wilis.  Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, summons her Wilis to dance and calls Giselle to join them.  They disperse at the arrival of Albrecht, who comes to pray at Giselle's grave.  Giselle appears to him and they dance together, he follows her into the forest.  Albrecht returns, is trapped by the Wilis and forced to dance.  Giselle urges him to the safety of the cross.  But he cannot hold himself back from dancing with Giselle, once Giselle is ordered to dance by the Queen.  Just as he is about to die of exhaustion, church bells chime the arrival of dawn and the Wili's power is broken.  Giselle, whose love and forgiveness has transcended death, returns to her grave freed from the Wilis, leaving Albrecht with only memories of her.