Plot Summary

The play begins with Theseus announcing that he will marry Hippolyta (the queen of the amazons) in four days. Their wedding will have a play preformed by the 6 characters Quince, Bottom, Flute, Starveling, Snug, and Snout. He hears Egeus complaining that his daughter, Hermia, will not marry the man he wants her to marry, Demetrius, since she's in love with Lysander. Demetrius however is madly in love with Hermia. Egeus doesn't like Lysander and therefore Theseus says that Hermia has to marry Demetrius, or choose between death or joining a nunnery. Lysander tells Hermia to flee to the his aunt's house in the Forest and marry him. Helena, one of Hermia's friends who is also in love with Demetrius, hears about it and tells Demetrius in hopes of catching them elope in the woods.

In the forest, Oberon and Titania (the king and queen of the fairies)argue that he should have her Indian orphan child as his page. Titania doesn't want to and refuses since she is the queen. To get the boy, Oberon tells Puck to get a flower from Cupid that makes the person who took it fall in love with the first person they see. Oberon plans to give it to Titania, so that she will fall in love with something vile and give him the child. Meanwhile Demetrius and Helena arrive in the forest. After Puck arrives with the flower, Oberon tells Puck to give it to Demetrius so he'll love Helena rather than Hermia. Oberon then gives it to Titania. In the forest, Lysander and Hermia lie down to rest. Puck, thinking Lysander is Demetrius, accidentally gives him the flower. Helena appears and awakes Lysander, and Lysander immediately falls in love with her.

In the forest, the ones planning the play for Thesus and Hippolyta's wedding discuss the logistics of their play. Puck appears and transforms Bottom's head into a donkey's for Titania to fall in love with. The actors run away, and Titania awakes and falls in love with him. Puck sees that Demetrius is chasing Hermia, and realizes that he gave the flower to the wrong man. Oberon tries to fix this by giving Lysander the flower so he'll fall in love with Helena, and he does. But now they are faced with both men loving Helena and Helena thinking neither of them are serious because shes so insecure. When Hermia arrives Helena accuses her of telling the men to tease her. Once Oberon realizes Puck caused all these problems, he orders him to make a thick fog to separate the four people and force them into a deep sleep, so the spell can wear off.

Oberon then awakes Titania and transforms Bottom back to a human. Oberon and Titania make up and fall in love with each other once again. In the woods, Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus show up and wake up Demetrius, Lysander, Helena and Hermia. Demetrius and Lysander inform them of their love for Helena and Hermia and they agree to let them marry.

After the long night Bottom returns and discuss with the other players what they should do for the play. They return to the palace where Hippolyta and Thesus discuss the nights activities. When the happy couples enter Thesus decides to start the nights festivities and the play "Pyramus and Thisbe" is preformed. The play is finished by Puck's appologies for the terrible acting and him promising better at his next preformance.