Nov 25, 2004 10:34 PM
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(Updated Nov 25, 2004 11:09 PM)
Midsummer Night's Dream takes place in Athens where Duke Theseus is planning his marriage with Hippolyta. Egeus enters, followed by his daughter Hermia, her beloved Lysander, and her suitor Demetrius. Egeus tells Theseus that Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, wanting instead to marry Lysander. He asks for the right to punish Hermia with death if she refuses to obey. Theseus agrees that Hermia's duty is to obey her father, and threatens her with either entering a nunnery or marrying the man her father chooses. Lysander protests, but is overruled by the law.
He and Hermia decide to flee by night into the woods surrounding Athens, where they can escape the law and marry. They tell their plan to Helena, Hermia's best friend, who is madly in love with Demetrius. Hoping to gain favor with Demetrius, Helena decides to tell him of their plan. Some local workmen have decided to perform a play for Theseus' wedding celebrations and meet to assign the roles.
Nick Bottom gets the lead role and they agree to meet the next night in the woods to rehearse the play. Robin Good fellow, a puck, meets the fairies who serve Queen Titania. He tells them that his King Oberon is in the woods, and that Titania should avoid Oberon because they will quarrel again. However, Titania and Oberon soon arrive and begin arguing about a young boy Titania is caring for. Oberon demands that she give him the boy, but she refuses. Oberon decides to play a trick on Titania and put the juice of a magic flower on her eyes, which will make her fall in love with the first thing she sees upon waking.
Soon after Puck is sent away to fetch the flower, Oberon overhears Demetrius and Helena quarreling in the woods. He decides to change the situation, and commands Robin to put the juice onto Demetrius's eyes when he is asleep. He then finds Titania and drops the juice onto her eyelids. Puck goes to find Demetrius, but instead comes across Lysander and accidentally uses the juice on him.
By accident Helena comes across Lysander and wakes him up. He immediately falls in love with her and starts to chase her through the woods. Together they arrive where Oberon is watching, and he realizes Puck's mistake.
Oberon then puts the juice onto Demetrius' eyelids, who upon waking up also falls in love with Helena. She thinks that the two men are trying to torment her and becomes furious at their protestations of love. The workmen arrive in the woods and start to Practice their play. They constantly ruin the lines of the play and mispronounce the words. Puck, watching this silly scene, catches Bottom alone and puts an Asses head on him. When Bottom returns to his troupe, they run away out of fear.
Bottom then comes across Titania, and succeeds in waking her up. She instantly falls in love with him and leads him to her bower. Lysander and Demetrius prepare to fight one another for Helena. Puck intervenes and leads them through the woods in circles until they collapse onto the ground in exhaustion. She then brings the two women to same area and puts them to sleep as well. Oberon finds Titania and releases her from the spell. He also releases Lysander.
Theseus arrives and finds the lovers stretched out on the ground and he wakes them. The lovers explain why they are in the woods, at which point Egeus demands that he be allowed to exercise the law on Hermia. However, Demetrius intervenes and tells them that he no longer loves Hermia, but only loves Helena. Theseus decides to overbear Egeus and let the lovers get married that day with him. Together they return to Athens.
Bottom wakes up and thinks that he has dreamed the entire episode. He swiftly returns to Athens where he meets his friends. Together they head over to Theseus's palace. Theseus looks over the list of possible entertainment for that evening and settles on the play of Pyramus and Thisbe. Bottom and the rest of his company perform the play, after which everyone retires to bed. Puck arrives and starts to sweep the house clean.
Oberon And Titania briefly blesses the couples and their future children. After they leave Puck asks the audience to forgive the actors is they were offended. He then tells the audience that if anyone disliked the play, they should imagine that it was only a dream.
