We developed facile one-pot methods for the transformation of 2-arylindoles to polyhydropyrido[1,2-a]indoles and tetracyclic quinazolinones. The copper-catalyzed oxidation of 2-arylindoles to C-acylimines followed by aza-Diels–Alder reactions or oxidative ring-expansion reactions afforded significant polycyclic heterocycles.