A Synopsis of A Midsummer Night's Dream
Theseus and Hippolyta will be married in four days, but their happy mood is soon ruined by Egeus who is upset because his daughter, Hermia, wants to marry Lysander instead of his choice: Demeterius. According to Athenian law, Egeus can have Hermia executed or sent to a convent if she refuses to do what her father tells her. Theseus gives her until his wedding day to make up her mind.
Demetrius and Hermia make plans to run away and get married. They tell Hermia's BFF, Helena, about their plan. Helena is in love with Demetrius, and even though he used to have feelings for her, now he has feelings for Hermia. Helena decides to tell Demetrius about the plan hoping that she will be rewarded with his love.
Six local tradesmen have decided to try their hand at acting and want to honor Theseus and Hippolyta on their wedding day by performing a play for them at the wedding reception. They have absolutely no business doing this because they know nothing about acting. They're so concerned with offending their audience that they decide to alter the play a little so that they won't get into trouble.
The king of the fairy world, Oberon, and his queen, Titania, have been arguing over a little boy that the king wants to train as one of his henchmen. Titania refuses because his mother was a friend of hers, but she died leaving her the boy to raise. Since Oberon and Titania have been fighting, there have been disasters with crops, flooding, diseases, etc. Oberon sends his mischievious fairy, Puck, to get a special flower whose juice, when it is dropped into a person's eye while sleeping, causes him or her to fall in love with the next thing he or she sees upon waking: man, woman, or animal. His plan is to take the boy while Titania is in love with someone or something else. While Oberon is waiting, he overhears Helena trying to explain to Demetrius how much she loves him, but he doesn't want anything to do with her. When Puck returns, Oberon orders her to also put the juice in Demetrius' eye, so that the next thing he sees is Helena. Oberon tells Puck that she will know him by his Athenian clothes.
Titania sleeps, and Oberon puts the juice in her eye. Hermia and Lysander have gotten lost in the woods and are tired and decide to sleep. Hermia is a modest girl and makes Lysander move away from her while they sleep. Puck comes up on them and mistakes them for Helena and Demetrius and mistakenly puts the juice in Lysander's eye. When Helena accidentally wakes Lysander, the first person he sees is her and he begins to pursue her. She thinks that he is mocking her. Poor Hermia wakes up and finds her Lysander gone.
The actors decide to meet in the woods to practice their play. Puck decides to play a trick on Nick Bottom and turns him into an ass. His friends abandon him and he accidentally wakes Titania and she immediately falls in love with him.
Oberon and Puck realize the mistake and Puck puts the juice in Demetrius' eye and Helena wakes him up. Now she thinks everyone is out to get her. Oberon orders Puck to fix the mess. She does; now all is set right with everyone believing the whole thing has been a dream. Theseus comes upon them and decides there will be a triple wedding. The tradesmen are chosen to perform for the wedding party. Finally, the fairies bless the couples and go back into the woods.
