Duke Theseus of Athens is about to marry Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, whom he has overcome in battle to make her his bride. To celebrate, an entertainment has been decreed and a group of artisans new to acting are, very seriously, rehearsing their offering in the woods outside the city.
Meanwhile, Hermia, daughter of Egeus, an Athenian courtier wishes to marry Lysander, while her father wants her to wed another young man, Demetrius, who is the man Helena, Hermia's dearest friend loves. Put in the position of marrying Demetrius or entering a convent, Hermia flees to the woods with Lysander. Helena informs on them to Demetrius, hoping to win his approval, and this couple follow the other.
Unbeknownst to any of the humans, the woods are home to another monarch and his Queen: Oberon and Titania, rulers of the fairy kingdom. As the play starts, they are at odds over the custody of an Indian boy they both want in their train. Oberon, seeking to bring his recalcitrant queen to heel, has his henchman Puck drug her by placing a distillation of flowers on her eyes while she sleeps; this will cause her to fall in love with the first creature she sees on waking, which Oberon expects to be an animal of the forest. At the same time, having seen the young lovers and taken in their situation, he charges Puck to treat Demetrius with the drug so that he gives up his love for Hermia and turns to Helena.
However, Puck, who has never seen the lovers, drugs Lysander instead of Demetrius, causing him to fall in love with Helena. When Oberon sees Demetrius still trailing Hermia he berates Puck who then drugs Demetrius as well.
The upshot of this is that both men become enamoured of Helena, to the extent of challenging each other to duel for her favour and girls’ friendship begins to crumble. As if Puck hasn’t caused enough trouble, he transforms Nick Bottom, the most self-important of the actors, endowing him with the head of a donkey. It is Bottom Titania sees when she awakes.
Confused? Can this tangle ever be unwound? Come see A Midsummer Night’s Dream and find out.
