A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

Plot Summary

Theseus, the duke, and Hippolyta are soon to get married, but their wedding planning is quickly interrupted by Theseus’s advisor, Egeus. Egeus’s daughter, Hermia, and Lysander are in love with each other. However, Egeus does not approve. He wants her to marry Demetrius, and threatens to have her executed if she doesn’t agree to marry him. Demetrius is quite happy to marry Hermia, but she does not feel the same way. So, late at night, Hermia and Lysander run away into the woods to get married.

Unfortunately, Hermia and Lysander tell Hermia’s friend, Helena, their plan. Helena is in love with Demetrius (although he doesn’t love her back) so she tells him the plan in an attempt to get him to like her. This doesn’t work, as Demetrius follows Hermia and Lysander into the woods, pursued by Helena.

Elsewhere, a group of workers have heard that the duke is looking for entertainment at his wedding, so they have decided to put on a play. One of the workers, Bottom, is keen to play every part, much to the despair of the others. Later that night, the group of workers get together in the woods to practise their play.

Meanwhile, in the woods, the King and Queen of the Fairies, Titania and Oberon, are having a fight. Titania has stolen a small boy to be her toy, but Oberon wants the boy to be his servant. Oberon is so annoyed with her that he gets his messenger, Puck, to play a prank on Titania. Puck casts a spell on one of the workers, which gives him a donkey’s head. Then, he puts a special love potion in Titania’s eyes so that she falls in love with this half-man, half-donkey, much to everyone’s amusement.

Oberon also tells Puck to use the love potion to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena. However, Puck gets confused, and puts the love potion in the wrong person’s eyes, so that both Demetrius and Lysander fall in love with Helena.

Helena thinks that they are making fun of her, while Hermia is hurt because Lysander insults her and tells her that he no longer loves her. Lysander and Demetrius challenge each other to a fight and attempt to fight each other, while Puck (invisible) winds both of them up.

Eventually, with a bit of help from Puck and Oberon’s magic, everyone ends up back in love with the right person. Puck takes the spell off, removing the donkey’s head, and Titania and Oberon get back together.

The play ends with the workers performing their play for the Duke and his new wife. They are very bad at acting, singing and dancing, but this creates a comical performance.