Disillusioned knight Antonius Block and his jaded squire Jöns return from the Crusades only to find their homeland ravaged by the plague. Upon their arrival, Block encounters Death, whom he boldly challenges to a chess match, convinced that as long as the game is in progress, he might stave off his inevitable fate.
As they journey, the knight and his squire come across a traveling troupe of actors, including Jof and his wife Mia, along with their infant son Mikael and actor-manager Jonas Skat. One morning, Jof experiences a vision of Mary leading the infant Jesus, a profound vision that he shares with a knowingly skeptical Mia.
During a visit to a church, Block observes a fresco depicting the Danse Macabre being painted. The squire criticizes the artist for his part in the fervor that led to their fateful crusade. In the confessional, Block reveals his desire to accomplish "one meaningful deed" after recognizing the futility of his past actions. It becomes clear that Death, masquerading as the priest, has been manipulating him all along. After leaving the church, Block approaches a young woman condemned to be burned for alleged consorting with the Devil, hoping she holds the key to knowledge about life after death, only to discover her fate has driven her to madness.
In a deserted village, Jöns heroically rescues a mute servant girl from an attempted assault by Raval, a theologian who had previously coaxed Block into joining the Crusades, now fallen to thievery. Angered, Jöns vows revenge against Raval should they meet again. He shares a kiss with the servant girl, who resists, ultimately agreeing to serve him out of obligation. The group subsequently heads to town, where the actors perform, only to be interrupted by a procession of flagellants led by a fervent preacher.
At the inn, Raval incites trouble among the patrons, trying to intimidate Jof, until Jöns intervenes and fiercely slashes Raval's face, exacting justice. The knight and squire unite with Jof's family, including the remorseful Plog, while Block enjoys a joyous picnic of milk and wild strawberries gathered by Mia, promising himself that this moment will be forever etched in his memory.
Block then offers refuge in his castle to Plog and the actors to protect them from the plague. Their journey leads them to an encounter in the woods, where Skat attempts a feigned remorseful suicide before fleeing up a tree, only for Death to cruelly cut it down.
Confronted with the condemned woman being taken to her execution, Block asks her to invoke Satan for answers about God. Although she insists she has done so, all he witnesses is her overwhelming fear, prompting him to offer her herbs to ease her suffering as she is brought to the pyre.
As they continue, they encounter a plague-stricken Raval. Jöns wisely prevents the servant girl from futilely offering him water, resulting in Raval's lonely demise. Jof, witnessing the knight engaged in a chess match with Death, decides to flee with his family, leaving Block to occupy Death in their game.
With Death declaring, > "No one escapes me," Block ultimately knocks over the chess pieces in defiance, though Death merely resets them. The game culminates with Death claiming victory, reminding Block that their next encounter will signal his final hour. Death then inquires about the "meaningful deed" Block sought to achieve, to which the knight affirms that he has.
In a poignant reunion, Block finds peace with his wife while the group partakes in a final supper before being interrupted by Death's arrival. The companions introduce themselves one last time, with the mute servant girl poignantly whispering, "It is finished."
Meanwhile, Jof and his family weather a storm in their caravan, which he interprets as the passing of the Angel of Death. Upon dawn, Jof experiences a vision of the knight and his companions being ushered away over the hillside in a haunting Dance of Death.
