A Midsummer Night's Dream
"A Midsummer Night's Dream," a comedy penned by William Shakespeare around 1595 or 1596, unfolds in the enchanting realm of Athens. It weaves together various storylines, all centered around the impending wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Amid these tales, one thread explores the romantic tangle of four Athenian lovers, while another trails a troupe of amateur actors rehearsing for the wedding entertainment. As fate would have it, both groups find themselves ensnared in a mystical forest inhabited by mischievous fairies, weaving a web of human manipulation and domestic entanglements. This play ranks among Shakespeare's most beloved works and enjoys widespread performances.
The forest becomes a realm of romantic chaos as four Athenians venture into its depths, only to be ensnared by the mischievous Puck. Love's potion causes the young men to chase after the same woman, setting off a hilarious chase. Amid the woodland's magic, Puck also lends a hand to his master's scheme to trick the fairy queen. As the tale unfolds, Puck eventually untangles the enchantment, leading to reconciliation and weddings for the two couples.
Major Characters
Theseus—Duke of Athens
Hippolyta—Queen of the Amazons
Egeus—father of Hermia
Hermia—daughter of Egeus, in love with Lysander
Lysander—in love with Hermia
Demetrius—suitor to Hermia
Helena—in love with Demetrius
Philostrate—Master of the Revels
Peter Quince—a carpenter
Nick Bottom—a weaver
Francis Flute—a bellows-mender
Tom Snout—a tinker
Snug—a joiner
Robin Starveling—a tailor
Oberon—King of the Fairies
Titania—Queen of the Fairies
Robin "Puck" Goodfellow—a mischievous sprite with magical powers
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed—fairy servants to Titania
Indian changeling—a ward of Titania
Summary
Act I
Duke Theseus is getting ready to tie the knot with Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. But there's a hitch – Egeus, a courtier, shows up with a problem. His daughter Hermia is in love with Lysander and won't marry the guy her dad picked, Demetrius. The Duke gives Hermia an ultimatum: marry Demetrius or become a nun.
Not cool with this plan, Hermia and Lysander decide to escape together and let their friend Helena in on the secret. Poor Helena is head over heels for Demetrius, who's now chasing after Hermia. Lysander and Hermia get lost in the woods, and Demetrius and Helena follow them.
Meanwhile, a bunch of working-class guys is rehearsing a play they're putting on for the Duke's wedding. Nick Bottom is playing the lead, and he's going to be a lover with a donkey's head – yeah, it's a comedy.
Act II
In the forest, King Oberon of the Fairies is having a spat with his queen, Titania. He wants the kid she's been doting on, and things are getting magical and messy. Oberon sends his trickster fairy, Puck, to fetch a flower that makes people fall in love with the first thing they see.
Oberon decides to mess with some love lives. He puts the love juice on Lysander's eyes, and he wakes up loving Helena. When Demetrius joins the party, he gets zapped too and now he's all about Helena.
Act III
Those working-class actors are still in the forest, rehearsing their play. Puck pulls a prank on Bottom by giving him a donkey head. Titania, still under the spell, falls in love with him.
Meanwhile, the love potion causes chaos between the four lovers. They fight and get totally lost. Puck tricks the guys with some voice mimicry, and they're all worn out and pass out. Lysander gets the antidote and is back in love with Hermia.
Act IV
Bottom's donkey head and Titania's affection for him are sorted out. Oberon and Titania make up, and everything's back to normal. The lovers are awakened by a hunting party, and Lysander is all about Hermia again.
Act V
The couples are all sorted out and plan to get married alongside the Duke and Hippolyta. The play the working-class actors put on is performed, and it's hilarious. As the newlywed couples head off to bed, Puck and the fairies bless the palace.
Themes
Lovers' bliss
The wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta and the mistaken and waylaid lovers, Titania and Bottom, even the erstwhile acting troupe, model various aspects (and forms) of love.
Love
David Bevington argues that the play represents the dark side of love. He writes that the fairies make light of love by mistaking the lovers and applying a love potion to Queen Titania's eyes, forcing her to fall in love with an ass. In the forest, both couples are beset by problems. Hermia and Lysander are met by Puck, who provides comic relief by confounding the four lovers in the forest.
Magic
The fairies' magic, which brings about many of the most bizarre and hilarious situations in the play, is another element central to the fantastic atmosphere of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Dreams
As the title suggests, dreams are an essential theme in A Midsummer Night's Dream; they are linked to the bizarre, magical mishaps in the forest.
Jealousy
The theme of jealousy operates in both the human and fairy realms in Midsummer Night's Dream. Jealousy plays out most obviously among the quartet of Athenian lovers, who find themselves in an increasingly tangled knot of misaligned desire. Helena begins the play feeling jealous of Hermia, who has managed to snag not one but two suitors.
Mischief
The trickster fairy Puck (also known as Robin Goodfellow) is the play's chief creator of mischief. Puck's reputation as a troublemaker precedes him, as suggested in the first scene of Act II, where an unnamed fairy recognizes Puck and enthuses about all the tricks Puck has played on unsuspecting humans.
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