Madame Butterfly is an Italian opera composed by Giacomo Puccini in the first years of the 20th century. It follows the story of Cio-Cio San (Butterfly), a Japanese girl of fifteen years who marries an American Navy General, B.F. Pinkerton, in Nagasaki., Japan. Butterfly converts to Christianity and thus is renounced by her family. While they profess their love for one another, Pinkerton never intends to stay. Act II begins three years later - Pinkerton has been gone since shortly after the marriage. Butterfly is convinced that he will return while others - namely Butterfly's maid, Suzuki - know that it is very unlikely. Sharpless arrives to deliver a letter in which Pinkerton explains...
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