Also the following duet with Pamina and Papageno,  ("Könnte jeder brave Mann solche Glöckchen finden" [Could but every brave man find such silver bells]) appears to have been written for a pastoral scene rather than for a stage scene. -- The solemn chorus of the priests is heard, and Sarastro enters, calms Pamina down and re-assures her in a friendly manner.  Also Tamino, who is dragged in by Monostatos, is not punished by Sarastro, but sincerely welcomed.  Only the moor receives a punishment of seventy-seven lashes on the soles of his feet for his pursuit of Pamina.  When he cries out,"Ach Herr, den Lohn verhoff ich nicht" (My master, I did not expect this reward], Sarastro sarcastically replies with, "Nicht Dank, es ist ja meine Pflicht (do not thank me, it is my duty, after all)." The first act is concluded by a great chorus in praise of virtue and justice.

A solemn march of the priest opens the second act.  The priests concur with Sarastro that the two strangers (meaning the men, Tamino and Papageno) should undergo an initiation (aria with chorus, "O Isis und Osiris" [O Isis and Osiris]). -- Tamino and Papageno are led into an entrance hall of the temple.  Tamino wants to subject himself to the initiation rites in order to attain the highest wisdom.   However, Papageno declines this offer and is content as long as he has enough to eat and to drink.  Only when he is promised a wife that is his equal in coloring and appearance, does he also agree to undergo the initiation rites.   (In the duet of the priests, "Bewahret Euch vor Weibertücken: dies ist des Bundes erste Pflicht" (Beware of women's schemes:  this is the first duty of our covenant), a dark sense of humor flares up:  perhaps, Mozart and Schikaneder also wanted to express that during the Josephinian era in Vienna, many men joined the Masonic lodges not only for the attainment of wisdom and enlightenment, but also to escape their wives' influence.)  The three ladies appear and attempt to cast doubts as to Sarastro's honorable intention in the minds of Tamino and Papageno.  However, in spite of a few lapses on the part of Papageno, the two men resist these attempts and remain silent.

Pamina is asleep in the nightly garden.  The moor wants to take another chance with Pamina.  His passion for her erupts, and it finds expression in his aria, "Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden (everyone feels the joys of love)", which is a musically daring piece with its excited flute passages (with the piccolo flute) and the hammering string instruments.  Just when the moor wants to descend on Pamina, the Queen of the Night appears.  She demands from her daughter that she should kill Sarastro.  Pamina is appalled, yet the Queen of the Night flares up in anger,  "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (the vengeance of hell is boiling in my heart)" (there appears to be an inner similarity to the sensually 'boiling' aria of the moor). After the Queen has vanished again, Monostatos returns; he has heard everything and demands from Pamina that she should become his lover, lest he will uncover her mother's plot.  However, Sarastro appears on the scene and thus saves Pamina.  The moor retreats in order "nun bei der Mutter zu versuchen (to try his luck with the mother, instead)". Sarastro dispells Pamina's fears that he would take revenge on her, since "In diesen heil'gen Hallen kennt man die Rache nicht (in these hallowed halls, revenge is unknown)".

Tamino and Papageno are led into a hall; once more, they are ordered to remain silend.  Papageno chats with an old woman; however, just when it would be her turn to tell him her name (she is Papagena in disguise), a thunderclap is heard, and the old woman hurries off.  Papageno is consoled rather quickly when the three boys bring them food as well as the glockenspiel and the magic flute.  Pamina appears, happy, to have found Tamino again -- he does not speak a word with her, although he mortally wounds her soul with it.  In Pamina's farewell aria, "Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden ewig hin der Liebe Glück (Oh, I feel it, it has vanished forever, the joy of love)" we can hear that simple expression of melancholy that we can hear very often from Mozart.

The three boys (who, in the meantime, have switched over into the service of Sarastro), are standing in a garden.  The trio, "Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkünden"  (soon, the sun will appear in order to announce the morning), belongs to the most sensitive and harmonious music that Mozart has ever writen. Pamina approaches; in her despair, she wants to take her life.  However, the three boys prevent this and lead her to Tamino.

In a mountain to the right, a might fire is burning, in another mountain, a thundering waterfall is crashing down.  Two guards accompany Tamino and read an inscription to him that can be seen above these ensuing dangers,  "Der, welcher wandert diese Strasse voll Beschwerden . . .  (He who wanders these difficult paths)."  This song is an old choral melody of a serious character.  Accompanied by a flute, an oboe, a bassoon and a trombone, the two guards sing this melody in unison.  The solemn character of this is intensified by a fugue-like string accompaniment (this fugato and the key of c Minor reveal an inner relationship to the overture).

Der welcher wandelt diese Strasse

-- Pamina approaches; she is now allowed to accompany Tamino on his path.  When the voices of Tamino, Pamina and of the two guards sing, "Wir wandeln durch des Tones Macht (we wander through the might of the tone)", an unearthly sublime world opens up.  The melody of the magic flute that is accompanied by the kettle drum and the wind instruments, sets in, and the young couple walks through fire and water unscathed.   In delight and relief, Tamino and Pamina sing,  "Wir wandern durch die Feuersgluten ... (we walk through the burning fire)", and again, we hear unearthly music.  In glowing beauty, the temple of Isis appears before them.  A chorus of the priests completes this solemn scene.  Like in a magic trance, the young couple walks toward the temple.

Papageno did not pass his initiation rites and can also not find his wife.  As much as he calls out, "Papagena, liebes Täubchen! Papagena, Herzensweibchen! (Papagena, dear little dove, Papagena, dear little wife of my heart" -- there is no reply.  Well, then he wants to hang himself, "Diesen Baum da will ich zieren (this tree here, I want to decorate)." Just when he goes about his awkward preparations for this, the three boys remind him of his glockenspiel.  Where he did not succeed with his calling-out, he is successful with his glockenspiel:  the bird-like girl appears.  And the two bird-like humans welcome each other in style with, "Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa- Pagena" and "Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pageno". Without further ado, the united couple confesses that they wish for many little Papagenos and Papagenas. After they have run off hand in hand, the Queen of the Night and her three ladies appear with the moor, Monostatos.  In a sinister quintet in the c Minor key, they plot to storm Sarastro's temple, to free Pamina and make her the moor's wife.  However, under thunder and storm, the stage is transformed into a glorious image of the sun, and the dark powers have to vanish before it.  The priests, Sarastro, the three boys as well as Tamino and Pamina appear.  A chorus, "Heil sei euch Geweihten (hail to the wise and noble)" ends the opera in the E-flat key, in the key of the overture: