The story in one page
In Athens, Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, opting instead to flee into the woods with Lysander. Her friend Helena, nursing an unrequited crush, tells Demetrius, who follows them. Meanwhile, Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairies, are having a domestic spat that wreaks environmental havoc. Oberon instructs the mischievous sprite Puck to use a floral love-potion on the humans, but Puck bungles the job, causing everyone to fall in love with the wrong person. Meanwhile, a group of laborers trying to rehearse a play nearby gets caught in the magical crossfire, leaving their lead actor with a donkey head.
Who's who
- Theseus
The Duke of Athens preparing for his wedding to Hippolyta.
- Oberon
The king of the fairies who uses magic to settle scores.
- Puck
A fairy who creates chaos with a misplaced love potion.
- Bottom
A weaver who finds himself with a donkey's head.
- Hermia
A woman fleeing Athens to marry her chosen partner.
What it's really about
- Domestic conflict
- Divine and human couples argue and sabotage each other.
- The subjectivity of love
- Affection is fickle, irrational, and magically induced.
Why it's memorable
- A weaver sporting a donkey's head while the Fairy Queen dotes on him.
- Four panicked lovers running through a forest, shouting insults at one another.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
The fairies bless the wedding beds of the three couples, and Puck asks the audience to treat the whole mess as a harmless dream.
For your book club
- Is this play about romance or just temporary madness?
- How does the setting shift from city rules to wild woods?