A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a timeless classic by William Shakespeare. It is a comedy about the trials and tribulations of love.
Our protagonists are Hermia, Helena, Demetrius, and Lysander – all of whom are under pressure to stick with Puritan conventions, yet distracted by their own emotions. However, due to an unfortunate mix-up from an enchanting spirit named Puck, Hermia and Helena end up loving Lysander and Demetrius respectively. Complications arise as the forest provides atmosphere for confusion and mischievous magic takes over.
The play’s plot centers on the wedding of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta, which ushers in a series of chaotic events. Egeus, the father of Hermia, who is in love with Lysander, wants her to marry Demetrius. The three fairies (as well as Puck) enter into the fray and interfere with the wedding plans. They want to punish Oberon for not giving them their due respect, so they set him up with a love potion that he uses on Titania, his queen.
Titania falls asleep under an enchantment, which causes Oberon to think she has been unfaithful to him. In retaliation, Oberon puts a spell upon Titania’s eyes so that she will fall in love with whatever she first sees when she wakes up from her sleep. This turns out to be Bottom, who has been transformed into an ass by Puck’s magic juice.
The play ends with a song declaring that dreams must fade away as daybreak comes and order is restored in Puritanism as we return to reality. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an example of how Puritans don’t always follow the rules but sometimes dreams come true when chaos follows in its wake.
