梁祝是一个美丽、凄婉、动人的爱情故事。
东晋时期，浙江上虞县祝家庄，玉水河边，有个祝员外之女英台，美丽聪颖，自幼随兄习诗文，慕班昭、蔡文姬的才学，恨家无良师，一心想往杭州访师求学。祝员外拒绝了女儿的请求，祝英台求学心切，伪装卖卜者，对祝员外说："按卦而断，还是让令爱出门的好。"祝父见女儿乔扮男装，一无破绽，为了不忍使她失望，只得勉强应允。
英台女扮男装，远去杭州求学。途中，邂逅了赴杭求学的会稽（今绍兴）书生梁山伯，一见如故，相读甚欢，在*桥亭上撮土为香，义结金兰。
不一日，二人来到杭州城的万松书院，拜师入学。从此，同窗共读，形影不离。梁祝同学三年，情深似海。英台深爱山伯，但山伯却始终不知她是女子，只念兄弟之情，并没有特别的感受。
祝父思女，催归甚急，英台只得仓促回乡。梁祝分手，依依不舍。在十八里相送途中，英台不断借物抚意，暗示爱情。山伯忠厚纯朴，不解其故。英台无奈，谎称家中九妹，品貌与己酷似，愿替山伯作媒，可是梁山伯家贫，未能如期而至，待山伯去祝家求婚时，岂知祝父已将英台许配给家住贸阝城（今鄞县）的太守之子马又才。美满姻缘，已成沧影。二人楼台相会，泪眼相向，凄然而别。临别时，立下誓言：生不能同衾，死也要同穴！
后梁山伯被朝廷沼为鄞县（今奉化县）令。然山伯忧郁成疾，不久身亡。遗命葬贸阝城九龙墟。英台闻山伯噩耗，誓以身殉。
英台被迫出嫁时，绕道去梁山伯墓前祭奠，在祝英台哀恸感应下，风雨雷电大作，坟墓爆裂，英台翩然跃入坟中，墓复合拢，风停雨霁，彩虹高悬，梁祝化为蝴蝶，在人间蹁跹飞舞。

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.