The Magic Flute: What?

Apparently, Mozart's The Magic Flute makes some degree of sense if either A) you're a Freemason, and/or B) You know ahead of time that it's about Freemasonry. Or something.

If neither of the above apply to you and you, say, watch a recording of a production of it in music class, you will spend the entire time getting progressively more and more confused. A giant snake? Why is a Classical-era composer writing an opera about what very much seem like Pagan beliefs? Why are we praising Isis and Osiris? The good guy is the bad guy and vice versa? What is going on?

We'll be discussing it on Friday in class, and I'm certainly looking forward to that. I actually found it hard to concentrate on the musical aspect of it, as I was so totally baffled by the plot. Isis? What is up with those kids? Weird.