Summary Of A Midsummer Night's Dream

2 Pages 568 Words

The play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare is about three different groups of characters. The first group is consists of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, who is preparing to marry Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. Egeus, mother of Hermia, arrives at Theseus’ s home with Hermia and two suitors, Demetrius and Lysander. Lysander and Hermia are deeply in love, but Egeus wishes Hermia to marry Demetrius. Egeus then asks Theseus for the full penalty of law to fall on Hermia’s head if she refuses to marry Demetrius. Theseus gives Hermia until his wedding to consider her options, warning her that if she disobeys her mother, she could be sent to a convent or even executed. After that, Hermia and Lysander make plans to escape Athens and marry at Lysander’s aunt’s house. Lysander and Hermia tell Helena, who is in love with Demetrius, of their plans to elope. Helena then tells Demetrius of Lysander and Hermia’s planned elopement, and Demetrius storms into the woods after his love, and Helena follows him; as much as he hates her.
The second group of characters consists of a bunch of fairies, the fairy king, Oberon, and his queen, Titania. The third group of characters is a band of Athenian craftsmen rehearsing a play that they hope to perform for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding.
Oberon and Titania are fighting over a young prince given to Titania, by the prince’s mother. Oberon wishes to make him a knight, but Titania refuses.

Seeking revenge, Oberon has Puck, his court jester, find some flower that when you spread its juice on the eyelids of a sleeping person, that person will be in love with the first thing he or she sees upon waking. Puck obtains the flower and Oberon tells him of his plans to spread its juice on Titania’s sleeping eyelids. Oberon had seen how horribly that Demetrius was to Helena and ordered Puck to spread some if its juice on Demetrius‘s eyes. Puck goes out to find Demetrius...