Frederick Treves, a
surgeon at the
London Hospital, finds John Merrick in a
Victorian freak show in London's
East End, where he is kept by Mr. Bytes, the brutish ringmaster. Merrick's head is kept hooded outside of shows, and Bytes, who views him as
intellectually disabled due to his muteness, is paid by Treves to have him brought to the hospital for examination. Treves presents Merrick to his colleagues and highlights his physical abnormalities; his deformed skull forces him to sleep with his head on his knees, since if he were to lie down, he would
asphyxiate. On Merrick's return, he is beaten so badly by Bytes that his errand boy has to call Treves for medical help. Treves brings Merrick back to the hospital, where he is tended to by hospital matron Mrs. Mothershead, as the other nurses are too frightened of him. Mr. Carr Gomm, the hospital's Governor, is against housing Merrick, as the hospital does not accept "incurables". Treves encourages Merrick to speak, finding him to be intellectually competent. To prove that Merrick can make progress, Treves trains him to say a few conversational sentences and part of the
23rd Psalm. Carr Gomm sees through this ruse but, as he is leaving, Merrick begins to recite the whole of the Psalm. Merrick tells the doctors that he knows how to read and has memorized the 23rd Psalm because it is his favourite. Carr Gomm permits him to stay, and Merrick spends his time building a model of a cathedral he can partially see from his window. At tea with Treves and his wife, Ann, Merrick views photos of their family and in return shows them his mother's picture. He believes he must have been a disappointment to her, but hopes she would be proud to see him with friends. Merrick begins to take guests in his room, including the actress
Madge Kendal, who gives him a copy of
Romeo and Juliet; they play some lines from it and Kendal kisses Merrick. Merrick quickly becomes an object of curiosity to high society, and Mrs. Mothershead expresses concerns that he is still being put on display as a freak for this audience. Treves begins to question the morality of his own actions. Meanwhile, a night porter named Jim starts selling tickets to locals who come at night to gawk at the "Elephant Man". The issue of Merrick's residence is challenged at a hospital council meeting, but he is granted permanent residence after the governors' hospitality is commended by
Queen Victoria, who sends word with her daughter-in-law
Alexandra. However, during one of Jim's raucous late-night showings, Merrick is kidnapped by Bytes. Another night porter reports this to Treves, who confronts Jim about what he has done; Jim is then fired by Mothershead. Bytes takes Merrick on the road as a circus attraction once again. During a show in Belgium, Merrick, who is weak and dying, collapses, causing a drunken Bytes to lock him in a cage at night and leave him to die. Merrick is released by his fellow freakshow attractions who are escaping Bytes. Upon returning to London, Merrick is harassed through
Liverpool Street station by several young boys and accidentally knocks down a young girl. Merrick is chased, unmasked, and cornered by an angry mob. Before collapsing, he cries "I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!" Policemen return Merrick to the hospital. Treves apologises to Merrick for his ordeal, but Merrick says he is happy and his life fulfilled from all Treves has done. Treves and Mothershead take Merrick, accompanying Princess Alexandra, to see a
pantomime. Kendal comes on stage afterwards and dedicates the performance to him, and a proud Merrick receives a standing ovation from the audience. Back at the hospital, Merrick and Treves bid each other goodnight, and Merrick completes his cathedral model. He lies down on his back in bed, imitating a sleeping child in a picture on his wall, and dies. He is consoled by a vision of his mother, who quotes
Lord Tennyson's "Nothing Will Die". ==Cast==