梁祝是一個美麗、淒婉、動人的愛情故事。
東晉時期，浙江上虞縣祝家莊，玉水河邊，有個祝員外之女英台，美麗聰穎，自幼隨兄習詩文，慕班昭、蔡文姬的才學，恨家無良師，一心想往杭州訪師求學。祝員外拒絕了女兒的請求，祝英台求學心切，偽裝賣卜者，對祝員外說："按卦而斷，還是讓令愛出門的好。"祝父見女兒喬扮男裝，一無破綻，為了不忍使她失望，只得勉強應允。
英台女扮男裝，遠去杭州求學。途中，邂逅了赴杭求學的會稽（今紹興）書生梁山伯，一見如故，相讀甚歡，在*橋亭上撮土為香，義結金蘭。
不一日，二人來到杭州城的萬松書院，拜師入學。從此，同窗共讀，形影不離。梁祝同學三年，情深似海。英台深愛山伯，但山伯卻始終不知她是女子，只念兄弟之情，並沒有特別的感受。
祝父思女，催歸甚急，英台只得倉促回鄉。梁祝分手，依依不捨。在十八里相送途中，英台不斷借物撫意，暗示愛情。山伯忠厚純樸，不解其故。英台無奈，謊稱家中九妹，品貌與己酷似，願替山伯作媒，可是梁山伯家貧，未能如期而至，待山伯去祝家求婚時，豈知祝父已將英台許配給家住貿阝城（今鄞縣）的太守之子馬又才。美滿姻緣，已成滄影。二人樓台相會，淚眼相向，悽然而別。臨別時，立下誓言：生不能同衾，死也要同穴！
後梁山伯被朝廷沼為鄞縣（今奉化縣）令。然山伯憂鬱成疾，不久身亡。遺命葬貿阝城九龍墟。英台聞山伯噩耗，誓以身殉。
英台被迫出嫁時，繞道去梁山伯墓前祭奠，在祝英台哀慟感應下，風雨雷電大作，墳墓爆裂，英台翩然躍入墳中，墓複合攏，風停雨霽，彩虹高懸，梁祝化為蝴蝶，在人間蹁躚飛舞。

Yingtai Zhu, the only daughter of a prosperous family, despairs at the prospect of staying within the walls of her family's compound until she marries and goes off to live behind a new set of walls. More educated than most girls, she persuades her father to allow her to masquerade as a man and travel to Hangzhou to study with Master Zhou.
On the way, she meets Shanbo Liang and the two become friends and "sworn brothers." Yingtai has difficulty concealing her gender from him, especially after she falls in love with him. Nonetheless, she keeps up the pretense until she is called home, entrusting Mrs. Zhou to reveal her secret after her departure. Of course Shanbo wants to marry her once he learns the truth-but her parents have found her a groom. The story, based on a Chinese folktale, has all of the elements of a great tragic love affair, including misunderstandings, withheld information, meddling servants, jealous
rivals, tears, psychosomatic illnesses-and last but not least-an ending in which the star-crossed lovers are transmuted into a pair of butterflies. Yingtai is an engaging and clever heroine, never willing to give up the pursuit of her desires. Shanbo can be downright dense at times, but he makes a romantic leading man, even though he is never as resolute or courageous as Yingtai. He loves her beyond death, and that's what counts in this kind of story.