The Rhinegold. I. Alberich steals the Rhinegold. II. Fasolt and Fafner abduct Freia as a
hostage. III. Wotan and Loge capture Alberich. IV. (a) Wotan robs Alberich of his
ring; (b) he pays Fasolt and Fafner with it; (c) Fafner murders Fasolt for the ring.
The Valkyrie. I. (a) Siegmund and Sieglinde fall in love; (b) Siegmund draws the sword
from the tree. II. (a) Wotan breaks Siegmund's sword with his spear; (b) Wotan kills
Hunding. III. (a) Brünnhilde rescues Sieglinde; (b) Wotan punishes Brünnhilde by
plunging her into a magic sleep.
Siegfried. I. Siegfried reforges his father's broken sword. II. (a) he kills the dragon
Fafner; (b) he kills Mime. III. (a) he breaks Wotan's spear with his sword; (b) he
awakens Brünnhilde.
The Twilight of the Gods. Prelude. (a) The Norns' thread of fate snaps; (b) Siegfried
sets out in search of new adventures. I. (a) He is tricked by Hagen's potion into
forgetting Brünnhilde and falling in love with Gutrune; (b) he wins Brünnhilde for
Gunther. II. A double marriage takes place–between Siegfried and Gutrune, Gunther
and Brünnhilde. III. (a) Hagen murders Siegfried; (b) he murders Gunther; (c)
Brünnhilde immolates herself on Siegfried's funeral pyre; (d) the Rhinemaidens
reclaim the ring; (e) Hagen drowns; (f) Valhalla and the gods are destroyed by fire.
Twenty-eight decisive events in fourteen main subdivisions–two in each, on average: extravagant by Aeschylean standards, but still very few.