Set in legendary times, this fantasy/allegory takes place in and around the opposing realms of Sarastro (High Priest of the Temple of Wisdom) and the Queen of the Night. 

ACT I

Prince Tamino, having wandered far from his father’s kingdom, is chased by a terrifying serpent into the realm of the Queen of the Night. He faints before the serpent can strike and is subsequently rescued by three handmaidens of the queen, who tell him that, from afar, their mistress has recognized his valor. Through them she sends him a miniature portrait of her daughter, Pamina. Upon seeing it, Tamino falls instantly in love. During a brief audience with the queen, Tamino is told that Pamina has been abducted by Sarastro, the evil ruler of an adjoining kingdom. Vowing to find Pamina and rescue her from the villainous Sarastro, Tamino sets out with Papageno, a bird-catcher in service of the queen (and an unwilling accomplice for any task that takes him out of his accustomed environment). Before their departure the queen bestows additional gifts: a magic flute for Tamino and, for Papageno, a set of magical bells. A trio of youthful spirits leads the way.

Later, having become separated from Tamino, Papageno finds Pamina and inadvertently manages to save her from the unpleasant, amorous attentions of Monostatos, a slave master in the service of Sarastro. Papageno and Pamina, in flight from Monostatos, encounter Sarastro and his followers. Tamino, meanwhile, has stumbled upon Sarastro’s temple. He learns from the Speaker therein that Sarastro is not the evil force described by the queen. Further, Tamino finds himself strangely drawn to the ideals expressed by the Speaker. When Tamino and Pamina meet at last, Sarastro determines to keep them apart until Tamino can, through a series of tests, prove himself worthy, not only to join the Order, but also to wed Pamina. 

ACT II

Sarastro addresses his fellow priests, revealing that the union of Tamino and Pamina (though the couple do not know it) is one long-foretold as the dawn of a golden age of enlightenment. 

Tamino and the unwilling Papageno begin the Trials of Fasting and Silence that will prepare them for the more difficult Trials of Fire and Water. Papageno, who desires only to enhance the simple delights of hearth and home with a female companion (his long-sought “Papagena”) falters. Tamino manages to remain silent and steadfast, but in so doing he mistakenly leads Pamina to believe that he does not love her. Her despair at Tamino’s imagined rejection is heightened by the continued advances made upon her by Monostatos. When, subsequently, the queen descends upon her daughter not only to demand that she kill Sarastro but also to present her with the murder weapon, Pamina begins to lose her reason. In the face of so much hardship, she sees suicide as the only alternative. The three spirits, however, pull her back from the brink of insanity and send her to join Tamino. As he and Pamina successfully endure the Trials of Fire and Water, the Queen of the Night and her forces are subdued by Sarastro and his. Papageno finally finds his Papagena, and, as Tamino and Pamina are wed, a new age of enlightenment begins.