“Midsummer” Summary
ACT 1
Theseus, the duke of Athens, has defeated the Amazons and captured their queen – Hippolyta – to be his wife. As their wedding day approaches, Theseus tries to win Hippolyta's heart.
Egeus arrives at court with his daughter Hermia, and Hermia's two lovers: Lysander and Demetrius. Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, but she is in love with Lysander. According to Athenian law, Hermia must obey her father, or choose between never marrying or death. Lysander proposes to Hermia; they plan to flee Athens and go to Lysander's aunt's house. Helena, Hermia's lifelong best friend, arrives, and Hermia and Lysander tell her of their intended elopement.
Helena used to be betrothed to Demetrius, but he left her for Hermia. Helena still loves Demetrius, so she tells him about Hermia's elopement, hoping to make him love her again.
Meanwhile, a group of “rude mechanicals” (tradesmen) meet to cast a play to perform for Theseus on his wedding night. Peter Quince is technically in charge, and tries to get Bottom, Snout, Snug, and Flute into shape for the performance.
Moth (an attendant of the fairy queen Titania) runs into Puck (mischievous helper of the fairy king Oberon), and the two discuss Puck's pranks and the disagreement between their rulers. Titania and Oberon arrive, and the two of them quarrel over a changeling child that Titania is raising. [Oberon says he wants to boy to become part of his train and be another servant like Puck; Titania insists that she will raise the child as her own. However, the changeling is really just a pawn or a disagreement into which they channel all their relationship jealousy. Titania has a crush on Theseus, Oberon has a like crush on Hippolyta, and both are a bit upset that their crushes are marrying each other; also that the other fairy has more feelings for a mortal than for their fairy spouse!]
Oberon sends Puck to bring him a magical flower that makes a person fall madly in love with the next person he/she sees.
Oberon sees Demetrius while he is insulting and being pursued by Helena. Oberon tells Puck to take some of the love-inducing flower and anoint the eyes of an Athenian man.
While Titania sleeps, Oberon anoints her eyes with the love flower.
Lysander and Hermia are wandering about the wood, since Lysander has forgotten the way to his aunt's house. Puck finds them, and seeing that Lysander is an Athenian, anoints his eyes with the love flower. Demetrius manages to run away from Helena, who stumbles upon Lysander; she wakes him up, and he immediately falls in love with her. Lysander then pursues Helena into the woods, leaving Hermia behind. Hermia wakes up and fearfully seeks Lysander.
The mechanicals arrive in the woods to rehearse, and they happen to be right next to Titania's bower. Puck pranks them by giving Bottom a donkey's head. As the others run in fear, Bottom awakens Titania who falls madly in love with him, orders her attendants to treat him well, and brings him with her into the woods.
ACT 2
Oberon and Puck meet, and Puck tells Oberon that Titania has fallen in love with a donkey. Demetrius arrives, chasing Hermia. Hermia believes Demetrius has killed Lysander; he decides he cannot woo her while she is so angry. Oberon is furious that Puck somehow anointed the wrong man, and he sends his servant to go fetch Helena so Demetrius can fall in love with her as intended. Oberon then anoints Demetrius' eyes with the love flower.
Puck returns with Helena, accompanied by a still love-sick Lysander. Demetrius wakes up and falls in love with Helena. Lysander and Demetrius quarrel over who should get which girl; Helena believes they are mocking her. Hermia arrives, and believes all three are playing a joke on her. Helena thinks Hermia told the boys to woo her as a mean prank. Lysander finally convinces Hermia that he no longer loves her; Hermia gets angry at Helena, believing the latter came to steal her fiancé in spite. Helena is flattered by Demetrius' attention to her, and the girls argue. The men decide to duel for Helena's hand, and the girls both run off confused and angry. Oberon is not pleased with this state of affairs, and orders Puck to cast a thick fog over the woods so the men cannot see to duel. Oberon then has Puck lure all the lovers to one spot and Puck undoes the charm on Lysander.
Oberon has received the changeling boy since Titania is so distracted with her donkey-headed human. Oberon comes to Titania's bower and undoes the charm on her eyes. Puck transforms Nick Bottom back to his original state, and the fairy king and queen are in harmony again.
Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus come to the woods on a hunting trip, and they find the four lovers asleep. Theseus asks why they are all out in the woods together, and Lysander (who is now back to normal/loves Hermia again) confesses. Egeus wants Lysander's execution, but Demetrius says it no longer matters, since he is once again in love with Helena (his fiance before the play began). Theseus invites the two couples to join him and Hippolyta for their wedding that afternoon, and on the journey back, the lovers discuss the strangeness of the night, believing it all to be a dream.
Bottom also wakes up, believing the whole episode with the fairy queen to have been a dream, and he goes off in search of his fellow mechanicals. Meanwhile, the mechanicals return to the woods one last time to find their star actor before the play that night. The mechanicals are reunited, and prepare to perform.
Hippolyta and Theseus are no longer enemies, and both express their desires for a good relationship with the other (akin to what they see in the other lovers married that day). The wedding celebration begins with a play, performed by the mechanicals. The newlyweds are kind enough to watch and reward it, but they interrupt with lots of taunts and jokes.
Oberon and Titania arrive with their attendants to bless the three couples with peace, beautiful children, and prosperity.
Puck offers a closing speech, apologizing for any offense given, and says to imagine the whole play was a dream if any audience member did take offense!