ACT 2

The second act opens with Amneris, Radames, and Aida wondering if they have
each taken a step too far in their lives, actions and loves.

Mereb bribes a guard so that Aida can have a moment with her father. A plot is
started to free him and return him to Nubia, but Amonasro realizes that Aida has feelings
for the Egyptian captain and orders her to remove him from her mind and heart. Aida is
left to comtemplate the conflicts between her love for Radames and her love and respon-
sibility to her people.

Zoser is showing Amneris the lands that they have conquered, and as she real-
izes the costs of those conquests, we see another side of Amneris.

Radames enters and challenges his father, declares that he is not like his father, and will
not marry Amneris. As the scene ends, Zoser tells his ministers to find and kill Aida.

The soldiers enter the Nubian camp looking for Aida, but the people hide her
and Nehebka offers herself up, declaring that she is Aida. Despite this, Aida still needs to
see Radames, and Mereb realizes that maybe he really does not know her.

Aida meets Radames in his garden, and as they declare their love for each other
they each have a request of the other.

Aida asks Radames to go through with his wedding to Amneris, and he asks Aida to
leave Eagypt forever. They have realized that maybe they were brought together for some
higher purpose. Radames says that he will have a boat ready for their escape. As they
kiss and part, Amneris steps out of the shadows, having seen and heard everything.

As she is dressed for her wedding, Amneris realizes that she has always known
the truth. At the wedding a soldier rushes in and declares that Amonasro has escaped,
and as the soldiers fan out around the city, Radames trys to prevent them from getting to
the docks too soon, hoping that Aida and Amonasto will have escaped.

At the docks, there is a small boat. Amonasro, Aida, and Mereb enter, and
are immediately followed by Radames. As Amonasro calls out to his daughter, Radames
realizes for the first time who she really is and accuses Aida of a great deception for her
Own purposes. Zoser runs in with a guard. Mereb protects his king and Aida by killing
the guard, but then Zoser attacks him and cuts him down. As Aida grieves the death of
Mereb, Radames, in one final act of defiance, grabs a sword and cuts the rope attached
to the boat, freeing Amonasro. Radames is now a traitor

Aida and Radames are brought to judgement. The penalty for treason is to be
buried alive. Amneris pleads with Radames to deny everything, but he cannot. He is
inspired by Aida‘s courage and love for her country.

As the Pharaoh is about to pronounce sentence, Amneris declares that since the
Pharoah will soon be dead and she will be the ruler, she must have the final say on the
judgment. She asks that Radames and Aida should be buried together in the same tomb.
This is done and now Radames and Aida will be together forever.

The scene changes to the origial museum, with the tomb on display. Two young
people see each other and........ . 1