ACT II.
Grove of palms. The council of priests determine that Tamino shall possess Pamina if he succeeds in passing through the ordeal, as they do not wish to return her to her mother, who has already infected the people with superstition. (Aria and chorus: "O Isis and Osiris.")
Change of scene: The courtyard of the temple of Ordeal.
The first test is that Tamino and Papageno shall remain silent under temptation. (Duet, Speaker and Priest: "Be-ware of the wiles of women.") The three ladies appear, and tempt them to speak. (Quintet: "How? You at this place of terror?") Tamino and Papageno remain firm.
Change of scene: A garden. Pamina asleep.
Monostatos approaches and gazes upon her with rapture. (Aria: "All feel the joys of love.") When the Queen of the Night appears and gives Pamina a dagger with which to kill Sarastro (Aria: "The vengeance of Hell is in my heart"), Monostatos retires and listens. He tries to force Pamina's love by using the secret, but is prevented by Sarastro, who allays Pamina's alarm. (Aria: "In these holy halls.")
Change of scene: A hall in the temple of Ordeal.
Tamino and Papageno must again suffer the test of silence. Papageno can no longer hold his tongue, but Tamino remains firm, even when Pamina speaks to him, and as he refuses to answer believes he loves her no longer. (Aria, Pamina: "Ah, all is lost.") Change of scene (sometimes used as Act III): The pyramids. (Chorus: "O Isis and Osiris, what joy.") Sarastro parts Pamina and Tamino. (Terzett: "Shall I, dearest, see thee no more?") Papageno also desires to have a little wife. (Aria: "A little wife does Papageno wish.") At the first ordeal, an old woman had appeared to him and declared herself his bride. She now again appears and changes herself into the young and pretty Papagena.
Change of scene: An open country.
The three boys prevent Pamina from committing suicide because she believes Tamino to be faithless. ("Soon the morning sun appears.") Papageno also wishes to take his life, but dances merrily when the boys advise him to use his magic bells to summon the image of Papagena. (Duet: "Pa-pa-geno! Pa-pa-pagena!")
Change of scene: Rocks with water and a cavern of fire.
Men in armor lead in Tamino. ("He who wanders this road of difficulty.") Pamina arrives and is overcome with joy to find Tamino, who is now allowed to speak to her. Both pass unscathed through the final ordeal of fire and water with the help of the magic flute. The scene now changes to the entrance of the chief temple, where Sarastro bids the young lovers welcome and unites them. (A scene in which the traitorous Monostatos appears with the Queen of the Night and her ladies to destroy the temple is frequently omitted.)
References and external links: Plot taken from The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz, 1921 version.