Hermia becomes so jealous that she tries to challenge Helena to a fight. When Titania wakes, the first creature she sees is Bottom, the most ridiculous of the Athenian craftsmen, whose head Puck has mockingly transformed into that of an ass. Titania passes a ludicrous interlude doting on the ass-headed weaver. Theseus and Hippolyta discover the sleeping lovers in the forest and take them back to Athens to be married—Demetrius now loves Helena, and Lysander now loves Hermia.
After the group wedding, the lovers watch Bottom and his fellow craftsmen perform their play, a fumbling, hilarious version of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe.
When the play is completed, the lovers go to bed; the fairies briefly emerge to bless the sleeping couples with a protective charm and then disappear. Take note of the way in which Bottom behaves and reacts in each stage of Scene 1, both in his interactions with the other actors and then with Titania and the fairies. Why do you think he behaves the way he does?
How does Shakespeare create comedy throughout this scene and how do the fairies contribute to this? Notice how Oberon reacts to seeing Demetrius and Hermia in the woods, realising that Demetrius has not fallen in love with Helena as he wanted him to. How does he talk to Puck once he realises what mistake has been made? Why do you think Shakespeare allows Oberon to witness this at the same time as the audience? How does Puck respond to his own mistake and why? Note the way Oberon talks to Puck about the lovers and about his mistake.
Does Oberon still trust Puck? What clues are offered in the text? How have the two women changed? Oh, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!
This Demetrius is. The lovers all wake and kneel before the duke. The mechanicals talk about the money they would have earned performing their play and how much Bottom would have deserved it for his role as Pyramus.
Theseus decides he wants to see it anyway and the wedding party then watch the mechanicals perform. Help us by taking a short survey — it will only take a few minutes and will help us make the Shakespeare Learning Zone even better for everyone. Main Site Menu. Scene-by-scene Here is a more detailed look at what happens in each scene of A Midsummer Night's Dream, to help you look at the structure of the play and interrogate it.
Act 1. Act 1 Scene 1 The play opens with Theseus and Hippolyta talking about their wedding, which is about to take place. The mechanicals are working men and include a tinker, carpenter, weaver and joiner. All of them have practical crafts. Bottom likes to perform and thinks he is capable of playing lots of parts better than the other actors. Things to Notice in Act 1. After an afternoon of being pampered by Titania's fairies, Bottom falls asleep beside her. Oberon restores Titania's sight and wakes her thank goodness.
After expressing her dismay at the sight of Bottom, she reconciles with Oberon, and she ends up giving him the little Indian prince for his page. Bottom's ass head is removed, and he returns to the city to rejoin his friends as they prepare to perform their play. The lovers are woken by Theseus and Hippolyta's hunting party.
Lysander sees Hermia and falls in love with her once again. Happily reunited Lysander with Hermia and Demetrius with Helena , they agree to share the Duke's wedding day. The play of 'Pyramus and Thisbe' is presented before the wedding guests. As the three couples retire to bed, Puck and the fairies return to bless the palace and its people.
For additional reading, see our blogs on A Midsummer Night's Dream. A Midsummer Night's Dream Summary Four Athenians run away to the forest only to have Puck the fairy make both of the boys fall in love with the same girl. Want to test your knowledge? Act III The workers' rehearsals in the wood are overheard by Puck, who plays a trick on them by giving Bottom an ass's head. From the Duke's palace, the scene switches to the cottage of Peter Quince, a carpenter who directs a group of amateur actors in his free time.
He has chosen the play "Pyramus and Thisbe" to perform for Theseus' wedding and is in the process of casting roles. Nick Bottom, the weaver, is given the leading role of Pyramus, while Francis Flute, the bellows-mender, wins the female lead, Thisbe. The remainder of the roles are assigned, and the group plans to meet the following night at the Duke's oak for a rehearsal — the same woods where Hermia and Lysander plan to meet on their flight from Athens.
The action of the play now shifts to this fairy-enchanted woods, where Puck, Oberon's joker, speaks with one of Titania's fairies. The fairy recognizes Puck as the troublemaker, Robin Goodfellow. They also discuss the argument between Titania and Oberon; Oberon is angry with Titania because she refuses to give him the Indian boy she is raising. While Puck and the fairy talk, Titania and Oberon enter from opposite ends of the stage. After criticizing each other's infidelities — Titania was supposedly in love with Theseus and Oberon with Hippolyta, among others — Titania reminds Oberon that their argument has led to chaos in the natural world.
Oberon says this disaster will end if she relinquishes the Indian boy, but Titania refuses. Oberon hatches a sneaky plan to get the boy back. He sends Puck out to find a plant called love-in-idleness, the juice of which makes any person dote on the next creature he or she sees. While Puck is out looking for this magical flower, Demetrius and Helena wander past Oberon. As usual, Demetrius insists Helena stop following him; he even vows to harm her if she doesn't leave him alone.
Taking pity on Helena, Oberon instructs Puck to put some love juice in Demetrius' eyes at a moment when Helena will be the first person he sees upon waking. Titania and her fairies are the next to enter the stage, with Oberon secretly following. When Titania falls asleep, Oberon squeezes the love juice in her eyes, hoping a wild beast will be the first creature she sees upon waking.
In the meantime, Hermia and Lysander wander near Titania's bower. Lost in the woods, they decide to stop and rest until morning. Puck sees Lysander asleep and assumes he is the nasty Athenian Oberon told him about.
He puts the love juice in Lysander's eyes. Still in pursuit of Demetrius, Helena wanders past and notices the sleeping Lysander.
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