At the height of the festivities, Don Giovanni succeeds in leading Zerlina into an inner room, from which comes a piercing shriek a moment later.  Anticipating trouble, Leporello hastens to his master to warn him.  Don Ottavio and his friends storm the door of the anteroom, out of which now comes Don Giovanni dragging Leporello and uttering threats of punishment against him.  The trick does not succeed.  Don Ottavio removes his mask and draws his sword; Donna Anna and Donna Elvira confront the villain.  The musicians, servants, and rustics run away in affright.  For a moment Don Giovanni loses presence of mind, but, his wits and courage returning, he beats down the sword of Don Ottavio, and, with Leporello, makes good his escape.

The incidents of the second act move with less rapidity, and, until the fateful denouement is reached, on a lower plane of interest than those of the first, which have been narrated.  Don Giovanni turns his attentions to the handsome waiting-maid of Donna Elvira.  To get the mistress out of the way he persuades Leporello to exchange cloaks and hats with him and station himself before her balcony window, while he utters words of tenderness and feigned repentance.  The lady listens and descends to the garden, where Leporello receives her with effusive protestations; but Don Giovanni rudely disturbs them, and they run away.  Then the libertine, in the habit of his valet, serenades his new charmer.  The song, “Deh vieni alla finestra,” is of melting tenderness and gallantry; words and music float graciously on the evening air in company with a delightfully piquant tune picked out on a mandolin.  The maid is drawn to the window, and Don Giovanni is in full expectation of another triumph, when Masetto confronts him with a rabble of peasants, all armed.  They are in search of the miscreant who had attempted to outrage Zerlina.  Don Giovanni is protected by his disguise.  He feigns willingness to help in the hunt, and rids himself of Masetto’s companions by sending them on a fool’s errand to distant parts of the garden.  Then he cunningly possesses himself of Masetto’s weapons and belabors him stoutly with his own cudgel.  He makes off, and Zerlina, hearing Masetto’s cries, hurries in to heal his hurts with pretty endearments.  (Air:  “Vedrai carino.”) Most unaccountably, as it will seem to those who seek for consistency and reason in all parts of the play, all of its actors except Don Giovanni find themselves together in a courtyard (or room, according to the notions of the stage manager).  Leporello is trying to escape from Elvira, who still thinks him Don Giovanni, and is first confronted by Masetto and Zerlina and then by Ottavio and Anna.  He is still in his master’s hat and cloak, and is taken vigorously to task, but discloses his identity when it becomes necessary in order to escape a beating.  Convinced at last that Don Giovanni is the murderer of the Commandant, Don Ottavio commends his love to the care of her friends and goes to denounce the libertine to the officers of the law.