A Midsummer Night's Dream

Think of this play like three separate storylines that all get thrown into the same forest overnight — like three different TV shows accidentally sharing one set. By morning, everything's untangled and everyone's paired up correctly (mostly).

Act I — The Problem is Set Up (Athens)

• Theseus (Duke of Athens) is about to marry Hippolyta.
• Egeus storms in furious that his daughter Hermia won't marry Demetrius — she loves Lysander instead. Athenian law says she must obey her father or face death/a nunnery.
• Hermia and Lysander plan to elope that night, into the forest.
• Helena (Hermia's friend, in love with Demetrius) betrays the secret to Demetrius, hoping he'll be grateful. He isn't — he just chases Hermia into the forest, with Helena chasing him.
• Meanwhile, a group of working-class tradesmen (the "Mechanicals") — including Bottom — are rehearsing a play to perform at the Duke's wedding, and they pick the same forest to rehearse in.

Act II — The Magic Begins (the Forest)

• Oberon (fairy king) and Titania (fairy queen) are fighting over custody of a young Indian boy.
• Angry, Oberon orders Puck to fetch a magic flower whose juice makes anyone fall in love with the first living thing they see upon waking.
• Oberon plans to use it on Titania as revenge — and also, feeling sorry for Helena, orders Puck to use it on Demetrius so he'll love Helena back.
• Puck's mistake: he can't tell the Athenian men apart and puts the potion on Lysander instead of Demetrius.

Act III — Maximum Chaos

• Lysander wakes, sees Helena first, and instantly falls for her — abandoning Hermia.
• Puck also turns Bottom's head into a donkey's head as a prank. Titania wakes, sees Bottom, and falls in love with him (potion + donkey head = comedy gold).
• both

Act IV — Untangling

Act V — Resolution & Epilogue