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Scene I. The King’s palace at Memphis.
The High Priest Ramphis tells Radamès that the Ethiopian army is again marching on Egyptian soil, and he implies that he has been chosen by the goddess Isis as the supreme leader; he then goes to the King to tell him the prophecy. Radamès is left alone to dream about the moment when he will return in glory to the love of Aida, the Ethiopian slave he is secretly in love with. Amneris arrives; infatuated with Radamès, the King’s daughter asks him mischievously if his obvious happiness is not due to a secret love. Radamès, misunderstanding the Princess’s allusion, and fearing that his own relationship with Aida has been discovered, reacts in such a way as to make her suspicious. Aida’s arrival further complicates the situation, but the tense conversation between the three of them is interrupted by the entrance of the court. After inviting everybody to give their attention to a messenger with the latest news from the Ethiopian frontier, the king declares war and names Radamès commander of the army. Alone, Aida gives vent to her feelings of guilt for having wished victory for Radamès: she, daughter of Amonasro, the Ethiopian King who has taken up arms to give her back her liberty and princely rank that she is forced to keep hidden.

Scene II. The Temple of Vulcan.
Radamès receives the investiture as supreme commander. Ramphis gives him the sacred sword and invokes divine protection on the sacred soil of Egypt.

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Scene I. A hall in the apartments of Amneris.
Amneris is preparing to watch the triumphal procession of Radamès. When Aida enters, she gives her the false news of the death of the general; her reaction of despair, and her tears of joy when she tells her that she was lying, confirm the Princess’s suspicions. Aida confesses her love for Radamès, but Amneris is furious, and reminds her that, as a servant, she cannot hope to stand up to her rival.

Scene II. One of the entrances to the city of Thebes.
Acclaimed by the people and preceded by the march past of his troops, Radamès arrives. Amneris places the crown of victory on his head, and the King promises to grant him any request. Radamès asks that the prisoners be brought before them. Among them, Aida recognizes her father, but Amonasro orders her not to reveal his true identity, and addressing the Pharaoh with noble words, he asks for clemency for the defeated army. Radamès requests, as a reward for the victory, that pardon be granted to the prisoners. Amneris is vexed, and Ramphis is worried that the Ethiopian officials, once freed, could again take up arms. The King grants pardon on the condition that Aida remains at court with Amonasro as a guarantee of the pledge of peace of his people. He then announces that he will reward Radamès by offering him Amneris’s hand in marriage and thus destining him as his successor.

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On the banks of the Nile.
Ramphis accompanies Amneris to the Temple of Isis for a prayer vigil in the imminence of her wedding. Aida arrives: Radamès has asked her to meet him for what she thinks is the last time. Amonasro surprises her; reminding her of the unfortunate destiny of their homeland and reproaching her for her love for an enemy, he persuades her to try to wring from Radamès a military secret that could allow for the resurgence of the Ethiopian army. Radamès arrives, and tries to comfort Aida: he maintains that once he has repelled the imminent attack of the enemy’s army, the King will not be able to deny him permission to marry her. But Aida realistically reminds him that he cannot escape reason of state or Amneris’s anger. Feeling himself rejected, Radamès agrees to flee with her, and lets slip an indication about the strategy of the Egyptian army. At this point, Amonasro comes out of hiding and presents himself to Radamès as the King of the Ethiopians and father of Aida. Realizing that he has behaved dishonorably, Radamès despairs. While Aida and Amonasro try to drag him away, Ramphis and Amneris come out of the temple. The Ethiopian King draws a dagger, but Radamès prevents him from hurling himself at them. Amonasro then flees, taking with him Aida, while Radamès gives himself up to the guards who have rushed to Ramphis’s call.

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Scene I. A hall in the King’s Palace.
Amneris tells Radamès that Amonasro has died in battle, but that Aida survived and has disappeared, and that she will undertake to save his life if he forgets his love for the Ethiopian slave. Faced with his refusal, the Princess abandons him to the judgment of the priests. Radamès is led into an adjoining hall, where Ramphis and the priests accuse him of treason. Since he refuses to say anything in his own defense, he is condemned to being entombed alive under the altar of the god Vulcan. When the priests exit from the hall of justice, Amneris lashes out against their hypocritical cruelty.

Scene II. The Temple of Vulcan.
Radamès is locked up in a niche under the altar of the god, but Aida unexpectedly appears; having learned of his fate, she has hidden there to die with him. While  the chanting of the priestesses begins, the two lovers embrace tenderly. Torn by remorse, Amneris enters and, prostrate on the tomb, invokes the goddess Isis to grant peace to Radamès.