In the second act Lysiart deplores his failure to obtain the favor of Euryanthe; but his hopes are renewed when he meets Eglantine emerging from the tomb with the ring, and learns from her that it can be made to convict Euryanthe of indiscretion, or at least of breaking her promise not to reveal the tomb secret.  He obtains the ring, confronts Euryanthe with it at the palace, and forces her to admit the broken promise.  Adolar, believing that she is guilty, drags her away to a wilderness where it is his intention to kill her; but on the way they are attacked by a serpent.  Adolar slays the monster, and then, seized with sudden pity, he abandons his intention of killing her, but leaves her to her fate.  She is subsequently found by the King while on a hunting expedition, and to him she relates the story of Eglantine’s treachery.  The King takes her with him to the palace.  Meanwhile Adolar has begun to suspect that Euryanthe has been the victim of her base wiles, and on his way to Nevers to punish Lysiart he encounters the wedding-procession of the guilty pair, and challenges him.  The King suddenly arrives upon the scene and announces Euryanthe’s death, whereupon Eglantine declares her love for Adolar.  The furious Lysiart turns upon her and stabs her.  Euryanthe is not dead.  She has only fainted, and is soon restored to her lover, while Lysiart is led off to the scaffold.

The overture, which is familiar in our concert-rooms, gives a sketch of the principal situations in the opera.  The first act opens in the great banquet-hall of the King with a flowing and stately chorus ("Dem Frieden Heil”) alternating between female and male voices and finally taken by the full chorus.  Then follows Adolar’s lovely and tender romanza ("Unter bluehenden Mandelbaeumen").  The next number, a chorus ("Heil!  Euryanthe"), with recitatives for Adolar, Lysiart, and the King leads up to a vigorous trio ("Wohlan!  Du kennst").  Euryanthe’s idyllic and touching cavatina ("Gloecklein im Thale”) is a match in beauty and tenderness for Adolar’s romanza.  The recitative which follows introduces a sentimental aria for Eglantine ("O mein Leid ist unermessen"), leading to a duet with Euryanthe ("Unter ist mein Stern gegangen").  A scena for Eglantine, characterized by all the hatred and fury of jealousy, introduces the finale, which consists of a vigorous chorus ("Jubeltoene”) accompanying Euryanthe’s solo ("Froehliche Klaenge").

The second act opens with a powerful recitative and aria for Lysiart ("Wo berg ich mich"), which is full of passion.  A duet of a menacing and sombre character between Lysiart and Eglantine ("Komm denn unser Leid zu raechen”) stands out in gloomy contrast with Adolar’s aria ("Wehen mir Luefte Ruh’”) and the duet with Euryanthe ("Hin nimm die Seele mein"), so full of grace and tenderness.  They lead up to the finale, a grand quartet ("Lass mich empor zum Lichte"), with powerful chorus accompaniment.