The play is set in Athens the capital of Greece. It starts in the palace of Theseus.
He is planning his wedding to Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons.
He wants Theseus to pass a judgement on his daughter, Hermia, who refuses to marry the man her father chose, Demetrius. She is in love with Lysander. Hermia can be executed or become a nun if she does not obey her father.
"The course of true love never did run smooth.."
He asks her to meet him in the forest outside Athens in order that the two of them may flee to his auny who stays 35km outside the city. She is rich and loves Lysander as if he were/is her own son. The Athenian law is not valid outside the city and they will be allowed to get married.
A group of artisans, the Mechanicals, gather to discuss the play that they want to perform at Theseus and Hippolyta's wedding.
The two most prominent members are Peter Quince and Nick Bottom. Nick Bottom keeps on interuppting him during their meeting and gives him trouble.
They will perform The most lamentable Comedy and Most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe. Two lovers separated by parents fued, who speak to each other at night through a hole in the wall.
They are worried becuase they have to practise and be ready for performing at the wedding and the audience will not find it amusing or the ladies will be scared of the lion.
He tells him that he is handsome and can perform the role because Pyramus is supposed to be very handsome.
The prologue is created to introduce the audience to the play and the characters so that the lion and Pyramus' suicide do not scare the ladies in the audience. It is also to clarify the technicalities of actors potraying the wall and the moonlight.
He calls them fools.
He changes his head into that of a donkey.
She gives him a group of faries to serve him.
He is suprised but he enjoys it.
He realises that Puck put the potion in the wrong person's eyes.
She suspects that he is teasing her because of all the misunderstandings and confusion.
She suspects that she used her beauty and stature to steal his love from her because she is more fair and taller than Hermia.
He calls to them, imitating their voices so that they run into the forest looking for each other.
Puck declares that when Lysander wakes up, he will see his true love, Hermia, and all will be well by morning.
She kisses Bottom's ear.
He wants to eat hay and oats because he is now a donkey.
He feels sorry for Titania and she agrees to let him have the Indian prince.
They have fallen back in love with their original partners.
She is amazed.
They are scared that he was killed by the donkey-headed monster, which is actually Bottom transformed by Puck.
That Bottom is infact dead.
Theseus and Hippolyta have been married.
Puck has erased his memory by magic when he returned his head to that of a human.
So that the ladies would not faint at their bad breath when they start speaking their lines.
He thinks the story is a fable/myth.
He tells Theseus that it is the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, that the acting is very unprofessional and that Theseus should avoid watching it.
It is overdramatic and exaggerated, making it very funny for the audience to watch.
He shouts'die' 'die' 'die 'die'.
He asks them to applaud the actors if they are kind friends.