Setting: Athens, ancient times.
Act One
Scene 1: Theseus’ palace. Theseus and Hippolyta happily discuss their upcoming wedding. Theseus tells his Master of Revels, Philostrate, to rile up the public to make merry for the celebration. He tells his fiancee: “Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword, / And won thy love, doing thee injuries; / But I will wed thee in another key, / With pomp with triumph and with revelling.” Egeus enters with Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and a complaint: he has arranged a marriage between his daughter Hermia and Demetrius, but Hermia has been wooed by Lysander and now refuses to marry anyone else. Although Hermia insists that her love for Lysander is real, Theseus gravely informs her that if she does not follow her father’s will, she will be sent to a nunnery. Hermia stubbornly accepts this, and Theseus tells her that she has until his own wedding day and she must then choose between death, marriage to Demetrius, and the nunnery. Lysander likewise refuses to give Hermia up, and tells Egeus that Demetrius has seduced Helena. Theseus sweeps out to discuss marriage business and most of the others follow, leaving Lysander and Hermia alone. They complain about their plight, but Lysander has a plan: he has a widowed aunt who lives far from the reaches of Athens. If Hermia will agree to meet him in the woods the following night, they can go to his aunt’s house and be married there. Hermia happily agrees, but they are interrupted by the entrance of Helena, who is distraught that Demetrius does not love her and only has eyes for Hermia. Hermia comforts her by telling her all about her and Lysander’s plan. They leave Helena alone, who is still upset – until she has the idea to win favour with Demetrius by telling him about Hermia’s intended flight.
Scene 2: Cottage. The actors have gathered to receive their parts for their play, Pyramus and Thisby. Bottom the weaver has been cast as the tragical lover Pyramus, but he would much rather play a warrior, and is keen to also play the parts of Thisby and the lion. They discuss costuming (Bottom wants to wear an extravagant fake beard), and then Peter Quince, the director, hands out the parts and suggests that they all meet to rehearse in the woods the following night.
Act Two
Scene 1: Woodland. Puck and a Fairy meet and describe their adventures. Puck says that his master, King Oberon, wants Queen Titania’s changeling child (a young Indian prince) for himself, but she refuses to give him up. As a result, the royal couple are arguing. He then discusses all the pranks that he is known to play.
Scene 2: Woodland. Oberon and Titania meet and argue, she refusing to give up her prince. She sweeps off and Oberon calls Puck to him, He tells him about a certain flower that can induce a love-spell, and tells Puck to fetch it for him. Puck leaves, promising to return soon, and Oberon reflects on his plan to make Titania fall in love with the first thing she sees so that he can take the prince from her. Demetrius and Helena enter, and he becomes invisible to watch them. Demetrius is on the trail of Hermia and Lysander and is trying to shake off Helena. She refuses to leave him, telling him that even as he is cruel to her, she loves him. They wander off and Puck returns. Oberon tells Puck to put the juice of the flower in Titania’s eyes while she sleeps, and to do the same with the Athenian youth he has just encountered.
Scene 3: Woodland. Titania’s fairies sing her to sleep. Oberon enters and squeezes the juice from the flower into her eyes and tells her to wake only when a foul beast is near. Lysander and Hermia enter, tired from their night of travelling. They lie down to sleep a little way from one another, for modesty’s sake. Puck enters and assumes that Lysander and Hermia are the couple he has been looking for, so he squeezes the flower’s juice into Lysander’s eyes and leaves. Demetrius and Helena then enter, running, but she cannot keep up with him and so collapses on the ground while he runs off. She laments her fate, but then sees Lysander asleep and wakes him. He sits up – and falls madly in love with her! She assumes that he is making fun of her and leaves; he follows close behind, speaking of his newfound hatred of Hermia. Hermia then awakes from a bad dream. She realises that Lysander is gone and hurries off to look for him.
Act Three
Scene 1: Woodland. The actors gather near to where Titania sleeps. Bottom has many complaints about the play; he is concerned that the ladies will be scared if Pyramus is seen to kill himself, and if they see the lion. These problems are resolved, but new ones appear: how to stage the moonlight and the wall? They decide to use natural moonlight and that they will have a man act the part of the wall. The rehearsal can now begin, but Puck enters and decides to have some fun. After Bottom has made his first speech, he leads him out and replaces his head with that of an ass. He then leads him back to the other actors, who flee in terror. Bottom is deeply insulted and wanders around, singing, and wakes Titania – who is enthralled by him: “What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?” She praises his beauty and wit, demands that he stay with her in the woods, and orders her fairies to treat him well. He introduces himself to them and is led away to Titania’s bower.
Scene 2: Woodland. Oberon asks Puck if Titania has awoken yet, and Puck tells him all about Titania’s passion for Bottom. Oberon is very pleased, and Puck goes on to tell him that he managed to drug the Athenian as well. Demetrius and Hermia enter, her accusing him of murdering Lysander. Demetrius is cagey at first, but then admits that he is no murderer and Lysander is still alive, as far as he knows. She leaves and he lies down to go to sleep, while Oberon realises that Puck has drugged the wrong man and demands that the fairy go and fetch Helena. Puck leaves while Oberon casts a spell to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena when he wakes up, and Puck soon returns with Helena and Lysander following behind. Their arguing awakens Demetrius, who promptly falls in love with Helena. Unfortunately, she believes that he is just conspiring with Lysander to make fun of her. Demetrius and Lysander argue with each other over who deserves Helena, and then Hermia enters. She is startled to find Lysander’s hatred of her, and Helena bitterly accuses her of being in on the joke as well. Demetrius and Lysander continue arguing and eventually agree to fight one another, “to try whose right / Or thine or mine is most in Helena.” Helena also leaves, disgusted with them all, and Hermia pursues her. Oberon angrily blames Puck for this outcome; Puck claims that it is not his fault but admits that he is enjoying the confusion he has caused. Oberon tells him to confuse Demetrius and Lysander in the woods so that they cannot find one another to fight, and once they sleep, to put a potion into Lysander’s eye to set him right. When the lovers awaken, they will think all this has been a dream, and will return to Athens to be married. Oberon, meanwhile, will go to ask Titania to give him her Indian prince, and then break her love-spell. Puck agree but reminds Oberon that this all must be done quickly: it is nearly dawn. Oberon leaves and Lysander enters, searching for Demetrius. Puck imitates Demetrius’s voice to taunt him and Lysander follows him out; Demetrius then enters and Puck pretends to be Lysander. Lysander enters once more, tired, confused, and angry, and so he lies down to sleep. Puck and Demetrius enter; Demetrius is also exhausted and also decides to sleep. Finally, Helena and Hermia enter one after the other and lie down to sleep as well. Puck squeezes the flower juice on Lysander’s eyes and bids him fall in love with Hermia once more.
Act Four
Scene 1: Woodland. Titania bids Bottom sit with her on a bed of flowers. Bottom orders the fairies to fetch him various things and then he and Titania snuggle down to sleep next to one another. Oberon and Puck enter, Oberon admitting that he has begun to feel sorry for her. She has willingly given him the prince, so he now tells Puck to remove the donkey’s head from Puck and send him back to Athens. Oberon himself cures Titania and awakens her. She sees him and is in love once more, telling him that she dreamt that she was in love with an ass. Oberon shows her the sleeping Bottom and she is disgusted. Oberon tells Puck to right Bottom and calls for music. He leads Titania away. Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus enter. They encounter the four Athenian lovers and assume they have risen early to observe the May-day rituals. Theseus bids huntsmen wake them with their horns. They wake and Lysander confesses that he and Hermia were fleeing Athens to marry. Egeus is furious and demands that Demetrius join him in pursuing justice – but Demetrius announces that he now loves Helena and considers himslf engaged to her. Theseus announces that he is overruling Egeus’s will and wants the young lovers to marry at the same time as his marriage to Hippolyta. He, Hippolyta, and Egeus leave. Confused, the lovers follow behind. Bottom then wakes up and believes all that has happened to him to be a dream. He leaves, planning to have Quince write him a ballad for the play all about his dreamland adventures.
Scene 2: Quince’s house. Quince asks the other actors if they have heard from Bottom. They haven’t, and the play may have to be cancelled if he is not found as no one else has the skill to play Pyramus. Snug enters with news that more people are to be married. Bottom then arrives; his fellow actors are overjoyed but he insists on hurrying on with the preparations for the play.
Act Five
Scene 1: Theseus’s palace. Theseus, Hippolyta,and Philostrate enter with lords and Attendants. Theseus and Hippolyta puzzle over the story that the young lovers have told them: Theseus doesn’t believe a word of it but Hippolyta doesn’t understand how they could have all told the same story. The other four then enter and Theseus calls for some entertainment. Philostrate shows him the programme – and Theseus rejects everything except for Quince’s play. Philostrate warns him against it, but Theseus is intrigued, especially after he hears that it was prepared especially for the occasion, and insists on seeing it, “For never any thing can be amiss / When simpleness and duty tender it.” The play begins and the audience makes fun of it. Eventually, Theseus cuts off the ending and sends everyone to bed.
Scene 2. Puck enters and reflects upon nighttime being fairy time. Oberon, Titania, and their train enter and sing and dance a blessing upon the three mortal couples.
Drama Plots 