In 17th century Denmark, the elderly Cathedral Notary Absalon Pedersson (Thorkild Roose) is cursed at the stake by an elderly peasant woman whom he has tortured into a confession of witchcraft. Soon after, Pedersson's young wife Anne (Ilsbeth Movin) begins an affair with Martin (Preben Ledorff Rye), Pedersson's son from an earlier marriage. When Anne tells Pedersson of her love for Martin the old man suffers a fatal heart attack, and Anne soon finds herself facing accusations of witchcraft.