When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.

Gunnar and Ulf are neighbors. They are both lured into a life of crime.

A number of complicated relationships develop between a circus ringmaster, his estranged wife and his lover.

Set in 1860s Holland along the famed Zeider Zee — young Hans Brinker finds himself responsible for supporting his family after his father becomes injured in an accident. He and his sister, Gretel, travel to Amsterdam in search of funds to help pay for their father's operation. Their only hope lies in the city's annual ice skating race in which Hans must face off against his arch-rival, Ludwig Schimmel, in hopes of winning the prize money.

Law graduate Ylva Markner spends the summer on the island of Väddö, where she gets involved in a quarrel concerning a last will.

The ups and downs of three generations in an acting family.

Fridolf and his wife Selma gets a telegram from their daughter Maggan. She is engaged and are her way home to show her little baby.

A day in the life of a theater ensemble. The acting students are struggling to get one foot ahead of the others and the regular cast is fighting for the good parts.

Karin does not belong to the nobility but nevertheless marries the mentally ill king Erik XIV and becomes queen of Sweden. The king's skilled counsellor Göran Persson wants a royal policy supporting the people and supported by it. But in relation to the nobility the king oscillates between provocative strength and unpredictable weakness. Göran arranges that some very powerful noblemen are killed. Subsequently the king tries to have them convicted of high treason by the parliament. He forgets the manuscript, mixes up all facts, and the noblemen are acquitted. But Göran speedily gathers another parliament and has them convicted. Meanwhile Erik apologises because of the unjust murders. Hence Erik is dethroned and imprisoned. Göran is executed. Karin is restricted to a castle in Finland. In the prison Erik believes that he is still the king and gives the guards presents such as all fishes in the Baltic Sea.

Drifter Pickles one day turns up at the upper class home of Skarpneck and gets involved in his life.