Zuniga shows up to see Carmen and orders Don José to leave. Don José tells her he could never leave the military. That’s not enough for Carmen she wants him to ditch the army and join her gypsy life. Don José proves his love by pulling out the flower she threw at him at their first meeting. Don José says he must leave, but Carmen mocks his loyalty to the military. A trumpet signals that the soldiers must report back to the barracks. Nobody believes her as Don José’s voice is heard outside.

Carmen says she can’t go because she’s in love. They need to deliver their smuggled loot and want the three women to join them. The soldiers and Escamillo leave as the smugglers Dancaïre and Remendado join Carmen, Frasquita and Mercédès. He sings about his adventures in the bullring and flirts with Carmen, but she’s not interested. The famous bullfighter Escamillo arrives, and everyone is star struck. Carmen hears that Don José, who was sent to prison because he let her escape, got out the day before. As she’s being led away to prison, Carmen pushes Don José and escapes through the confused crowd.Ī few months later, Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercédès have fun singing and dancing for the soldiers late at night in Lilias Pasta’s tavern. Zuniga returns with Carmen’s formal arrest orders. Alone with Don José, Carmen seduces him into making a plan that will let her escape. Lieutenant Zuniga questions Carmen, but her only reply is the mocking response “tra-la-la.” Don José is ordered to guard Carmen while Zuniga gets a warrant for her arrest. Carmen has gotten into a fight with another girl and slashed her face with a knife. Suddenly, horrible screams come from the factory. As he reads the letter to himself Micaela leaves. Micaëla returns with a letter from Don José’s mother, who begs him to marry Micaëla. Laughing, she and the other women return to the factory. Seeing a challenge, the gypsy sets her eyes on him and sings, 'Love is a rebellious bird that no one can tame” and throws a flower at Don José.

Carmen comes in last, and everyone is drawn to her, except Don José. The men flirt with the factory girls, too. A bell from the cigarette factory chimes, and the women come out for their smoke break. Soon after, Don José arrives as the guards change shifts. The soldiers try to get Micaela to stay by flirting with her, but she leaves. The shy, pretty Micaela comes looking for Corporal Don José, but he’s not there. Hot and tired, a group of soldiers hangs out watching people go by. It’s a blistering hot day in sunny Seville, Spain.

Carmen opera summary