It is the year 2081. Because of Amendments to the Constitution, every American is fully equal, meaning that no one is smarter, better-looking, stronger, or faster than anyone else. The Handicapper General and a team of agents ensure that the laws of equality are enforced. The government forces citizens to wear "handicaps" (a mask if they are too handsome or beautiful, earphones with deafening radio signals to make intelligent people unable to concentrate and form thoughts, and heavy weights to slow down those who are too strong or fast).
One April, 14 year old Harrison Bergeron, a highly intelligent, handsome teenager, is taken away from his parents, George and Hazel, by the government. George and Hazel are not fully aware of the tragedy. Hazels lack of awareness is due to "average" intelligence, which in 2081, is the politically correct way of referring to someone of well-below-average intelligence. George does not comprehend the tragedy since the law requires him to wear the radio ear piece for twenty-four hours a day because he is of above-average intelligence. The government broadcasts noise over these radios to interrupt the thoughts of intelligent people like George.
Hazel and George are watching ballerinas dance on TV. Hazel has been crying, though she cannot remember why. She remarks on the beauty of the dance. For a few moments, George reflects on the dancers, who are weighed down to counteract their gracefulness and masked to cover up their good looks. They have been handicapped so that TV viewers will not feel bad about their own appearance and hence will feel equally as talented and good-looking. Because of their handicaps, the dancers are not very good. A noise interrupts Georges thoughts: two of the dancers onscreen hear the noise, too; apparently, they are smart and must wear radios as well.
Hazel thinks George looks exhausted and urges him to lie down and rest his handicap bag, forty-seven pounds of weight placed in a bag and locked around Georges neck. He says he hardly notices the weight any more. Hazel suggests taking a few of the weights out of the bag, but he says if everyone broke the law, society would return to its old competitive ways. Hazel says she would hate that. A noise interrupts the conversation, and George cannot remember what they were talking about.
On TV, a news reporter with a speech impediment attempts to read a bulletin. The speech impediment was given to him by the government because he is too well-spoken. Unable to overcome his impediment, he hands the bulletin to a ballerina to read. Hazel, who is too dumb to realize that the reporter was handicapped by the government, commends him for working with his God-given abilities and says he should get a raise for trying so hard. The ballerina begins reading in her natural, beautiful voice, then apologizes and switches to a growly voice so that her voice will not sound nicer than anyone else's voice. The bulletin says that Harrison has escaped from prison.
A photo of Harrison appears on the screen. He is wearing the handicaps meant to counteract his strength, intelligence, and good looks. The photo shows that he is seven feet tall and covered in 300 pounds of metal. He is wearing huge earphones, rather than a small radio, and big glasses meant to blind him and give him headaches. He is also wearing a red rubber nose and black caps over his teeth. His eyebrows are shaved off.
After a rumbling noise, the photo on the Bergerons TV screen is replaced with an image of Harrison himself, who has stormed the studio. In an attempt to overthrow the government and its handicapping systems, he says that he is the emperor, the greatest ruler in history, and that everyone must obey him. Then he rips off all of his handicaps. He says that the first woman brave enough to stand up will be his empress. A ballerina rises to her feet. Harrison removes her handicaps and mask, revealing a beautiful woman.
He orders the musicians to play, saying he will make them royalty if they do their best. Unhappy with their initial attempt, Harrison conducts, waving a couple of musicians in the air like batons, and sings. They try again and do better. After listening to the music, Harrison and his empress dance. Defying gravity, they move through the air, flying thirty feet upward to the ceiling, then, still in the air, they kiss each other.
Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, comes into the studio and kills Harrison and the empress with a 10-gauge double barrel shotgun. Turning the gun on the musicians, she orders them to put their handicaps on. The Bergerons screen goes dark. George, who has left the room to get a beer, returns and asks Hazel why she has been crying. She says that something sad happened on TV, but she cannot remember exactly what. He urges her not to remember sad things. A noise sounds in Georges head, and Hazel says it sounded like a doozy. He says she can say that again, and she repeats that it sounded like a doozy.
