Drama A Midsummer Night Dream Summary & Characters
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Characters
Theseus
He is the Duke of Athens who is going to marry Hippolyta whom he has won in a battle. He appears only in the beginning and end of the play. He is a rational and practical. His decisions are backed by logic.
Hippolyta
She is the legendary queen of Amazons who is going to marry Theseus.
Egeus
He is the father of Hermia. Because of his strict nature, he takes his daughter to Theseus to make her agree to marry to Demetrius or otherwise kill her.
Hermia
Daughter of Egeus. She loves Lysander, but her father insists her to marry to Demetrius.
Helena
She is a young woman in Athens. She is in love with Demetrius. Initially, both loved each other, but when Demetrius met Helena's friend Hermia, he fell in love with her and thus abandoned Helena.
Lacking confidence in her looks, Helena thinks that Demetrius and Lysander are mocking her when the fairies' mischief causes them to fall in love with her.
Lysander
He loves Hermia, but Hermia' father doesn't want his daughter to be married to him. Later, Puck, the mischievous spirit puts the magic juice in his eyes with a mistake and he falls in love with Helena and remains so until the effect of magical juice vanishes.
Demetrius
He was initially in love with Helena but now wants to marry Hermia under the consent of Egeus.
Puck
He is called Robin Good-fellow. He is a ghost and servant of Oberon (the king of fairies). He is known for his mischievous nature. He creates a lot of trouble in the drama.
Oberon
The king of fairies. He is initially in a quarrel with his wife Titania over an Indian-born boy. He orders Puck to put the magical juice in the eyes of Titania so that she might fall in love with the one whom she sees first in the woods.
Titania
Wife of Oberon. Initially, she is in a quarrel with her husband Oberon as she does not wish to give the Indian born boy to him, but later she gives him at last. Due to the magical juice, she falls in love with Bottom, whom Puck has made ass-like on the order of Oberon.
Nick Bottom
He was assumed to play a role in the play that was to be played on the marriage of Theseus. While he is sleeping in the woods after practice, Puck makes his face like that of ass.
Seeing him in this condition, his companions run away. He is also the first person, whom Titania sees first and thus falls in love with him. Later, Puck makes his face again that of human and he is united with his friends.
Francis Flute
Actor of the play that was to be played in the marriage of Theseus.
Robin Starveling
Actor of the play who was assumed to play in the marriage of Theseus.
Tom Snout
Actor of the play who was assumed to play in the marriage of Theseus.
Snug
Actor of the play who was assumed to play in the marriage of Theseus
Fairies
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed'
Short Summary
Preparation for Wedding
Theseus, the Duke of Athens, is preparing for the wedding with Hippolyta, whom he has won in a battle. Egeus enters along with his daughter Hermia, Lysander (whom she loves) and Demetrius (whom Egeus wants to marry his daughter). Egeus asks Theseus to make his daughter agree to marry Demetrius and if she refuses, then give her death sentence.
Theseus being practical and rational, first persuades Hermia to do as per the wish of her father, but when she refuses, he gives her a period of four days to choose between Demetrius and death or remain a nun.
In the Forest
Hermia and Lysander decide to run away and meet in the forest. While they were discussing their plans, Helena, who also supports their union, somehow gets known to their plan.
As she is in love with Demetrius, she decides to expose this plan to Demetrius, so that he may be pleased with her. Eventually, she tells the king. Demetrius chases those lovers to the forest. Helena follows him.
Rehearsal
Now in the forest, a group of craftsmen are rehearsing a play that is supposed to be performed in the marriage of Theseus. There is also a band of fairies, including Oberon, the fairy king, and Titania, his queen, who has recently returned from India to bless the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta.
There is a quarrel between Oberon and Titania over a young Indian prince given to Titania by the prince's mother. The boy is very beautiful and thus Oberon wants to make him a knight but Titania does not agree to it.
The Magical Flower
Oberon gets very angry with her and wants to teach her a lesson. He orders Puck, who is very mischievous, to bring a magical flower, the juice of which is spread over a sleeping person's eyes, that person will fall in love with the first thing he or she sees upon waking.
Puck brings the flower. Oberon orders Puck to spread its juice over the eyes of Titania. Puck does the same. Oberon happens to see the cruelty of Demetrius and wants to punish him too.
He orders Puck to put some magical juice over his eyes too. Puck encounters Lysander and Hermia. He takes Lysander to be the one of whom Oberon spoke and thus spreads magic juice over his eyes.
Drama Begins
When Lysander wakes up, he happens to see Helena and falls in love with her, thus abandoning Hermia. Later on, Puck recognises his mistake and wants to undo his mistake. As a result, both Lysander and Demetrius end up in love with Helena. Helena thinks that they at mocking her. Hermia becomes jealous of Helena and challenges her to a duel.
On the other hand, Lysander and Demetrius are about to fight but Puck confuses them by mimicking their voices that lead them apart until they are lost in the forest. Puck also mockingly transforms the head of a craftsman (Bottom) into that of an ass.
Bottom’s friends on seeing him run away and he himself runs to them. When Titania wakes up, she happens to see that ass-headed man i.e. Bottom and falls in love with him and starts chasing him.
Normalcy
Both Oberon and Puck watch them and laugh at them. Ultimately Oberon obtains the Indian boy from Titania. On his order, Puck restores the situation back to normal. As the morning comes, everything is fine.
Theseus and Hippolyta find the sleeping lovers in the forest and take them back to Athens to be married. Now Demetrius now loves Helena, and Lysander now loves Hermia. After the marriage ceremony, the craftsmen present their play.
