ACT I
Theseus is the Duke of Athens. Having conquered Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, he is now preparing to marry her. Egeus is a prominent citizen of Athens and comes to the Duke complaining that his daughter Hermia will not marry Demetrius, the man he has chosen for her. She loves Lysander instead. Egeus tells her that if she does not obey him she will be killed. However Theseus offers her a third option, that she become a nun. Hermia refuses to change her mind and Lysander doubts Demetrius's suitability as a husband when he remarks upon the fact that he was previously in love with Helena. Theseus goes off to consult with Egeus and Demetrius in private, and as they do so, Lysander persuades Hermia to run away with him. They arrange to meet in the wood on the outskirts of Athens and tell Helena of their plan. However, she is so besotted with Demetrius that she tells him about their secret just for the opportunity of talking to him. Demetrius decides to pursue the couple and Helena follows behind.
The four lovers share the wood with some Athenian craftsmen who are to put on a play in celebration of the Duke's marriage. The leader of the group, Peter Quince, is trying to take the rehearsal. However, his efforts are thwarted by an outgoing and exuberant weaver called Nick Bottom. The craftsmen are determined to stage their show despite a total lack of talent and experience.
ACT II
The king and queen of the fairies, Oberon and Titania, have decided to meet in the wood too. They are accompanied by a large group of followers. These two have fallen out with each other over possession of a human boy. This has upset the balance of nature, causing severe problems in the weather and seasons in the human world. Titania is looking after the boy and refuses to give him to her husband. Their quarrelling intensifies.
Oberon then sends his helper, Robin Goodfellow, a puck, to fetch some magic juice. The king intends to punish Titania for disobeying him. When put on her eyes while she is asleep, it will cause her to fall in love with the first creature she sees. Oberon sees Demetrius spurning Helena as he journeys through the wood, and in an attempt to help the young woman, he tells Robin also to apply the juice to Demetrius's eyes. However, Robin mistakes the sleeping Lysander for Demetrius and applies the potion to him instead. When Lysander awakens he falls in love with Helena and spurns Hermia.
ACT II
The king and queen of the fairies, Oberon and Titania, have decided to meet in the wood too. They are accompanied by a large group of followers. These two have fallen out with each other over possession of a human boy. This has upset the balance of nature, causing severe problems in the weather and seasons in the human world. Titania is looking after the boy and refuses to give him to her husband. Their quarrelling intensifies.
Oberon then sends his helper, Robin Goodfellow, a puck, to fetch some magic juice. The king intends to punish Titania for disobeying him. When put on her eyes while she is asleep, it will cause her to fall in love with the first creature she sees. Oberon sees Demetrius spurning Helena as he journeys through the wood, and in an attempt to help the young woman, he tells Robin also to apply the juice to Demetrius's eyes. However, Robin mistakes the sleeping Lysander for Demetrius and applies the potion to him instead. When Lysander awakens he falls in love with Helena and spurns Hermia.
ACT III
Robin spies the craftsmen rehearsing and decides to play a trick on them. He casts a spell on Nick Bottom, turning his head into that of an ass. The others run away in terror but Titania wakes up and Bottom, being the first creature she sees after having the potion applied to her eyes, becomes the object of her potion-induced affection. Oberon sees Demetrius arguing with Hermia, who continues to reject him. He realizes that his plan must have encountered a mishap, and in trying to put the situation right he applies the juice to Demetrius' eyes when Helena is nearby. However, the immediate outcome is that Demetrius and Lysander, who were previously in love with Hermia, have now both fallen for Helena. She, on the other hand, believes they are making fun of her with the help of Hermia. But Hermia is only baffled at the cruel rejection of her Lysander. Oberon orders Robin to intervene again in order to prevent violence from breaking out. They are separated and fall asleep. Robin puts an antidote juice on Lysander's eyes to stop him loving Helena.
ACT IV
Oberon and Robin remove the magic spells from Titania and Bottom. Titania has agreed to hand over the boy and the king and queen of the fairies are reunited. Theseus, out walking early in the morning with his companions, discovers the four lovers asleep in the wood. He wakes them up and they try to explain their change in feeling. Theseus overrules the objections of Egeus and says that the two couples shall be married alongside him and Hippolyta. Bottom wakes up when everyone else has left the wood. He ponders on his strange 'dream' and then runs to find the other craftsmen. They are upset at the loss of their friend and the cancellation of the play - when he bursts in on the scene they are delighted and rejoice.
ACT V
It is the evening of the three marriages. Theseus agrees to the staging of the craftsmen's play. It is to be a tragedy called 'Pyramus and Thisbe'. It is badly written and acted, but its faults prove extremely entertaining in performance and Bottom is an unexpected success in the lead role. When the humans have all gone to bed the fairies enter the house. They bless all of the people there and their children to come.