Plot A Midsummer Night's Dream

hermia , helena washington allston, 1818

the play consists of 4 interconnecting plots, connected celebration of wedding of duke theseus of athens , amazon queen, hippolyta, set simultaneously in woodland , in realm of fairyland, under light of moon.

the play opens hermia, in love lysander, resistant father egeus demand wed demetrius, whom has arranged marry. helena meanwhile pines unrequitedly demetrius. enraged, egeus invokes ancient athenian law before duke theseus, whereby daughter needs marry suitor chosen father, or else face death. theseus offers choice: lifelong chastity while worshipping goddess artemis nun.

peter quince , fellow players nick bottom, francis flute, robin starveling, tom snout, , snug plan put on play wedding of duke , queen, lamentable comedy , cruel death of pyramus , thisbe. quince reads names of characters , bestows them on players. nick bottom, playing main role of pyramus, over-enthusiastic , wants dominate others suggesting himself characters of thisbe, lion, , pyramus @ same time. rather tyrant , recites lines of ercles. bottom told quince lion terribly frighten duchess , ladies enough duke , lords have players hanged. quince ends meeting @ duke s oak meet.

the quarrel of oberon , titania joseph noel paton

in parallel plot line, oberon, king of fairies, , titania, queen, have come forest outside athens. titania tells oberon plans stay there until has attended theseus , hippolyta s wedding. oberon , titania estranged because titania refuses give indian changeling oberon use knight or henchman, since child s mother 1 of titania s worshippers. oberon seeks punish titania s disobedience. calls upon robin puck goodfellow, shrewd , knavish sprite, him concoct magical juice derived flower called love-in-idleness, turns white purple when struck cupid s arrow. when concoction applied eyelids of sleeping person, person, upon waking, falls in love first living thing perceives. instructs puck retrieve flower hope might make titania fall in love animal of forest , thereby shame giving little indian boy. says, , ere take charm off sight,/as can take herb,/i ll make render page me.

hermia , lysander have escaped same forest in hopes of eloping. helena, desperate reclaim demetrius s love, tells demetrius plan , follows them in hopes of killing lysander. helena continually makes advances towards demetrius, promising love him more hermia. however, rebuffs cruel insults against her. observing this, oberon orders puck spread of magical juice flower on eyelids of young athenian man. instead, puck mistakes lysander demetrius, not having seen either before, , administers juice sleeping lysander. helena, coming across him, wakes him while attempting determine whether dead or asleep. upon happening, lysander falls in love helena. oberon sees demetrius still following hermia , enraged. when demetrius goes sleep, oberon sends puck helena while charms demetrius eyes. upon waking up, sees helena. now, both men in pursuit of helena. however, convinced 2 suitors mocking her, neither loved originally. hermia @ loss see why lover has abandoned her, , accuses helena of stealing lysander away her. 4 quarrel each other until lysander , demetrius become enraged seek place duel prove love helena greater. oberon orders puck keep lysander , demetrius catching 1 , remove charm lysander lysander can return love hermia, while demetrius continues love helena.

a drawing of puck, titania , bottom in midsummer night s dream act iii, scene ii charles buchel

meanwhile, quince , band of 6 labourers ( rude mechanicals, described puck) have arranged perform play pyramus , thisbe theseus wedding , venture forest, near titania s bower, rehearsal. bottom spotted puck, (taking name word jackass) transforms head of donkey. when bottom returns next lines, other workmen run screaming in terror: claim haunted, bottom s confusion. determined await friends, begins sing himself. titania, having received love-potion, awakened bottom s singing , falls in love him. lavishes him attention of , fairies, , while in state of devotion, oberon takes changeling. having achieved goals, oberon releases titania, orders puck remove donkey s head bottom, , arranges helena, hermia, demetrius , lysander believe have been dreaming when awaken. puck distracts lysander , demetrius fighting on helena s love mimicking voices , leading them apart. eventually, 4 find separately falling asleep in glade. once fall asleep, puck administers love potion lysander again, claiming in morning.

the fairies disappear, , theseus , hippolyta arrive on scene, during morning hunt. wake lovers and, since demetrius no longer loves hermia, theseus over-rules egeus s demands , arranges group wedding. lovers decide night s events must have been dream. after exit, bottom awakes, , decides must have experienced dream past wit of man.

in athens, theseus, hippolyta , lovers watch 6 workmen perform pyramus , thisbe. performers terrible playing roles guests laugh if meant comedy, , retires bed. afterwards, oberon, titania, puck, , other fairies enter, , bless house , occupants fortune. after other characters leave, puck restores amends , suggests audience experienced might dream.