Lully’s Armide is a psychological drama. The action primarily concerns the virgin Warrior Princess Armide and the Christian Knight (also a virgin) Renaud. Despite her virginity Armide’s greatest power lies in her sexual allure. Her mere presence eradicates the aggressive instinct in men and makes them capable of feeling only sensual desire. Armide is personally protected by the fact that she herself has never experienced desire. Renaud also draws his strength from an almost mystic virginity which renders him impervious to Armide’s allure.
ACT I
The action takes place in Damascus, in a public square decorated to celebrate Armide and her victory over the Crusaders whom she has taken captive. Armide’s ladies in waiting (Phénice and Sidonie) express surprise at her agitation. Armide is obsessed by the fact she has been unable to subdue Renaud and she recounts a recurring dream in which she is annihilated by him.
Armide’s uncle, the Sorcerer Hidraot encourages his niece to secure the Kingdom of Damascus by choosing a husband. Armide prevaricates by declaring she will only consider marriage to a warrior capable of destroying Renaud.
The people of Damascus celebrate Armide’s triumph with an elaborate ballet and chorus only to be interrupted by the entrance of the Muslim warrior, Aronte. Mortally wounded, he informs the people of Damascus that the captive Knights have been miraculously rescued by Renaud. Armide and Hidraot swear vengeance.
ACT II
In the Second Act, we discover Renaud in the desert where he has separated himself from his fellow warriors. Artémidore (one of the Knights rescued by Renaud) appears and warns Renaud that he is near Armide’s territory. Renaud assures Artémidore that his heart is safe from Armide’s allure and sends him away.
Armide and Hidraot enter and with a magical spell transform the desert into a beautiful oasis meant to ravish Renaud’s senses. Surrounded by trees, flowers, bird song and perfume, Renaud is lulled into a magical sleep. Demons disguised as beautiful young men and women appear and sensualize him in order to render him helpless when Armide makes her appearance.
Armide enters, dagger in hand, and prepares to kill the sleeping Renaud. However, when she sees him for the first time she succumbs to her own spell and it is her senses that are ravished by the beautiful young Knight. Armide attempts to convince herself that rather than murdering him, her greatest triumph would be to take Renaud as a lover. Unable to admit her infatuation, she nevertheless conjures demons to fly him away to her palace.
ACT III
The action takes place in the desert, where Armide grapples with the realization that she has fallen in love with Renaud, while he is bound to her only by her magic spells. In desperation, Armide conjures the spirit of Hatred in an effort to exorcize Love from her heart. Hatred and his attendants perform a satanic liturgy in which Love (also represented by a character on stage) is tormented and humiliated. At the last moment Armide is unable to go through with the exorcism and attempts to banish Hatred. Furious at her treatment of him, Hatred proclaims that Armide will be humiliated and abandoned by Renaud. He warns her that although she will beg Hatred to return to her heart, he will never again answer her prayer. As in her dream of Act One, Armide is fated to forever love the man who annihilates her.
ACT IV
Two of Renaud’s companions pass through the desert in an effort to find and rescue Renaud from Armide’s powers. Armed with a magic scepter and mirror the Knights resist the temptations Armide sets in their paths and continue on their quest to discover the location of Armide’s palace.
ACT V
Within the confines of Armide’s enchanted palace we witness the opera’s only love scene between Armide and Renaud. After mutual declarations of passion, Armide leaves Renaud in order to consult the Underworld about her predicament. Renaud is left to be entertained by a divertissement of Pleasures and Lovers until her return.
The Knights appear in Armide’s absence and break her spell over Renaud. She returns as Renaud prepares to escape and implores him to stay or to take her with him as a captive. The call of duty overwhelms Renaud and he abandons Armide who in her despair, collapses unconscious. While she is unconscious, Renaud, overcome with grief reappears and explains that although the spell has been broken, he does indeed still love her.
Armide awakens, never having heard Renaud’s declaration. The curse of the spirit of Hatred proves to be true. In an agony of torment Armide destroys the palace, the desert and everything within her grasp. The only thing she cannot destroy is her love for Renaud.
