The Magic Flute Plot and Assignment

                  The Story of The Magic Flute: Opera by W.A. Mozart

The setting:  The Far East, the desert, a fantasy place and time

The Main Characters: Prince Tamino (Tenor), Papageno, the bird catcher who works for the Queen of the Night, (Baritone) Pamina, (soprano)  a princess, daughter of the Queen of the Night, captured by Sarastro (Ruler of Light, Bass) Monastatos, Baritone, evil slave to Queen of the Night.  

  A mythical land between the sun and the moon. Three ladies in the service of the Queen of the Night save Prince Tamino from a serpent. When they leave to tell the queen, the birdcatcher Papageno appears (“I’m Papageno”). He boasts to Tamino that it was he who killed the creature. The ladies return to give Tamino a portrait of the queen’s daughter, Pamina, who they say has been enslaved by the evil Sarastro. Tamino immediately falls in love with the girl’s picture (“This portrait’s beauty”). The queen, appearing in a burst of thunder, tells Tamino about the loss of her daughter and commands him to rescue her (“My fate is grief”). The ladies give a magic flute to Tamino and silver bells to Papageno to ensure their safety on the journey and appoint three spirits to guide them (Quintet: “Hm! hm! hm! hm!”).

Sarastro’s slave Monostatos pursues Pamina but is frightened away by Papageno. The birdcatcher tells Pamina that Tamino loves her and is on his way to save her. Led by the three spirits to the temple of Sarastro, Tamino learns from a high priest that it is the Queen, not Sarastro, who is evil. Hearing that Pamina is safe, Tamino charms the wild animals with his flute, then rushes off to follow the sound of Papageno’s pipes. Monostatos and his men chase Papageno and Pamina but are left helpless when Papageno plays his magic bells. Sarastro enters in great ceremony. He punishes Monostatos and promises Pamina that he will eventually set her free. Pamina sees the figure of Tamino, but he is taken away into the temple with Papageno.

Sarastro tells the priests that Tamino must perform an initiation.  (“O Isis and Osiris”). Monostatos tries to kiss the sleeping Pamina but all of a sudden the Queen of the Night appears. The Queen gives her daughter a dagger and orders her to murder Sarastro (“Here in my heart, Hell’s bitterness”).  Pamina refuses to do this, even though she cares for her mother and wants to obey her.

Sarastro finds the lonely Pamina and consoles her, explaining that he is not interested in punishing the queen, her mother.  (“Within our sacred temple”). Tamino and Papageno are told by a priest that they must remain silent and are not allowed to eat, a vow that Papageno immediately breaks when he takes a glass of water from a laughing old lady. When he asks her name, the old lady vanishes. The three spirits appear to guide Tamino through the rest of his journey and to tell Papageno to be quiet. Tamino remains silent even when Pamina appears. Misunderstanding his vow for coldness, she is heartbroken (“Now my heart is filled with sadness”).

The priests inform Tamino that he has only two more trials to complete his initiation. Papageno, who has given up on entering the brotherhood, longs for a wife instead (“A cuddly wife or sweetheart”). He eventually settles for the old lady. When he promises to be faithful she turns into a beautiful young Papagena but immediately disappears.  Pamina and Tamino are reunited and face the ordeals of water and fire together, protected by the magic flute.

Papageno tries to hang himself on a tree but is saved by the three spirits, who remind him that if he uses his magic bells he will find true happiness. When he plays the bells, Papagena appears and the two start making family plans (Duet: “Pa-pa-pa-pageno!”). The Queen of the Night, her three ladies, and Monostatos attack the temple but fall into a hole and disappear. Sarastro blesses Pamina and Tamino as all join in hailing the triumph of courage, virtue, and wisdom.

Assignment:  Create ten questions that refer to the plot, the characters and/or the setting, and then answer them in detail, in full sentences and with correct spelling.

Example:  What does the queen of the night ask Pamina to do?  Does she do it?

The Queen of the night is Pamina’s mother.  She gives Pamina a dagger and orders her to kill Sarastro, the King of Light.  She must refuse to do this, because she knows it is wrong to kill, and also she doesn’t hate Sarastro at all, this puts her in a huge bind, as to what to do.  She has to decide between loyalty to her mother and the Moon darkness, and doing the right thing that is moral and just. 

 Papageno and Papagena
The Magic Flute by Mozart Highlights Salzburg 2006