England, 18th century.

Scene one. The garden at Trulove’s country house, an afternoon in spring.
Tom and Anne are flirting. The girl’s father, Trulove, has doubts about the young man’s morals. For this reason he offers him a job as an accountant, but Tom refuses. He is not interested in work, and expresses his first wish: to get rich. Whereupon an unknown person, Nick Shadow, appears and announces that an uncle of Tom’s, who has just passed away, has left his nephew a legacy. Tom takes Shadow into his service and decides to settle in London before marrying Anne. The betrothed part fondly, while Shadow declares that for his fee he will wait for a year and a day. He then turns to the audience and reveals his identity as the devil: “A rake’s progress is about to begin”.

Scene two. Mother Goose’s brothel, in London.
Among whores and patrons, Mother Goose and Shadow inculcate in Tom the principles of a cynical and dissolute existence. When the conversation turns to love, however, the young man is suddenly seized by a nostalgia for Anne. He would like to leave at once, but Shadow halts time and puts it back by one hour, while inciting Tom to enjoy himself. The young man begs Love to receive his sadness. The whores, who are perturbed and fascinated, would like to console him. But Mother Goose asserts her rights and goes off with the young man. Shadow comments that when the rake’s dreams end he shall die.

Scene three. The garden at Trulove’s house, an autumn night of full moon.
Anne is convinced that, although she has had no further news of Tom, the young man still loves her and needs her help. For this reason she has decided to go to London to look for him. She invokes the aid of night and the moon as allies.