| “ | The Queen: Do you see this dagger? It is for killing Sarastro. YOU must slay him, and make the powerful Circle of the Sun mine for all eternity! Pamina: But Mother... The Queen: DON'T SAY A WORD! |
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| ~ The Queen of the Night and Pamina (before the Der Hölle Rache aria). |
The Queen of the Night (Königin der Nacht in German) is the main villainess in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's famous 1791 opera Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). She is first introduced as the desperate mother whose beloved daughter was kidnapped, but it ultimately appears that she is the villain of the story, who wants to steal the powerful Circle of the Sun.
The role of the Queen of the Night numbers among the most famous in opera and her two coloratura arias: O Zittre Nicht Mein Lieber Sohn (Do not Tremble My Dear Son) and especially Der Hölle Rache (the Infernal Vengeance) have become nothing short of legendary.
Characteristics[]
The Queen of the Night is a majestic woman, clad in night and stars. Even Prince Tamino from a distant kingdom knows her name. At first glance, she is a loving mother who acts motherly towards Tamino. But in truth, she is cruel and selfish, a block of seething anger and hatred fully willing to sacrifice her beloved daughter for revenge.
She loathes Sarastro and covets his power, but it is hinted that the sorrow of widowhood and the bitterness of being deprived of the Circle of the Sun drove her to the deep end. Judging from how her subjects praise her, she seems to be a good ruler. While her actions are inexcusable, she fights for what she regards as her right to own and rule.
Powers And Abilities[]
The Queen of the Night is clearly a considerably powerful magic-wielder, gaining power from the Night itself which she controls. Whether she is a human mage like Sarastro or some sort of nature spirit is left for interpretation. She can appear out of nowhere and commands spirits, and many settings show her floating over the ground, but her overall power is more suggested than shown. She herself explains that she lost a great deal of her might after her husband’s death. Nevertheless, she remains able to infiltrate Sarastro’s Temple and threatens to destroy it by the end, being only defeated when her daughter is Enlighted, which seemingly breaks her might for good.
Symbolism[]
The Queen of the Night can be viewed as an early symbol of a free woman, albeit villainous, for she claims what she considers her legitimate heirloom, of which she was denied due to being a woman. She strongly resents this, defying the patriarchal order that judges her unworthy of authority, by any mean she can, especially the worst.
She can also be viewed as a symbol of ignorance, allegedly inspired by the very devout Empress Maria Teresa of Austria. Either coveting the Enlightenment she was unfairly denied, or wanting to destroy it out of intolerance.
Biography[]
The Queen of the Night is first mentioned by her bird catcher Papageno, when speaking to the foreigner prince Tamino, who has heard of her as a magnificent and powerful sovereign. The Queen's three maid-servants - who saved Tamino earlier from a gigantic snake - appear and show the prince a painting of their abducted princess Pamina. Upon seeing the picture, Tamino instantly falls in love with the beautiful princess and vows to free her.
A rumble of thunder announces the Queen's arrival and she makes her entrance, as if emerging from the night itself. She tells Tamino that her daughter Pamina was abducted by the evil sorcerer Sarastro, depriving her of all her happiness. If he were to free her beloved daughter, she promises that she would make her his wife.
The maiden offers Tamino a magic flute crafted by the Queen of the Night's late husband and Papageno (who accepted this mission hoping to meet a girl to marry) a magic silver bell, telling them to look for three boys who will guide them. Tamino and Papageno later get separated. The bird catcher is the first to find Pamina, saving her from Sarastro's Moorish slave Monostatos. He tells her that a prince is coming to save her and give her his love.
Meanwhile, Tamino learns that Sarastro is by no mean evil, but a wise and holy man, High-Priest of Isis and Osiris and guardian of the fabled Circle of the Sun. Sarastro tells the prince that he only abducted Pamina to keep her away from her mother’s evil influence. It appears that the Queen of the Night sent Tamino to kill Sarastro hoping to get rid of her rival and get her hands on the Circle of the Sun. Tamino agrees to become one of Sarastro's initiates, in order to prove worthy of Pamina. Tamino and Pamina - who are now in love with each other - must then pass several trials before getting married.
Later, Monostatos, who lusts after Pamina and laments that no girl wants him because of his dark skin, attempts to steal a kiss from the sleeping princess; only to be frightened away by the Queen of the Night herself, who sneaked into the temple alongside her three maidens.
The Queen asks her daughter about Tamino's whereabouts, and shows her true colours. She angrily reveals that her late husband was the previous owner of the Circle of the Sun. Upon dying, he told the Queen that he willed her and their daughter all his lands and riches, so that they would want for nothing for the rest of their lives, but that she could not inherit the Circle of the Sun, which he willed to Sarastro.
The Queen of the Night states that all her power is gone and claims the Circle of the Sun for herself, needing it to restore her former glory and take her revenge. She then gives a dagger to Pamina and orders her to kill Sarastro; otherwise, she would disown her and curse her for eternity. However, Sarastro knows about it and Pamina cannot bring herself to kill him. She and Tamino succeed in every trial, helped by the three little boys and the magic flute.
While the two lovers are getting married by Sarastro, the Queen of the Night and her maiden enter the temple, guided by Monostatos, who was promised that he would be given Pamina in exchange for his help. The Queen is about to destroy the temple when the sun rises, symbolizing the initiation of Tamino and Pamina, breaking the evil sovereign, who is banished with her followers for all of eternity into the Everlasting Night.
Sarastro then enters, followed by Tamino and Pamina, Papageno and his newfound wife Papagena, and all his initiates, praising both Isis and Osiris and the magnificence of love.
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