Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, in the nature of a masque, reveals that love’s path is not smooth even in the higher
order of the society.
It is in the city of Athens when the law of the land stated that the father of a girl had the right to put his daughter to death if she did not agree to
marry the man of his choice.
The play begins with an old man named Egeus who comes to meet the King, Theseus at Athens with a complaint that he had arranged to marry his daughter
Hermia to Demetrius, a nobleman, but she refused him for she loved another Athenian named Lysander. Hermia justified her stand that Demetrius was in love with her friend Helena so how could she want to marry him!
Apart from being a kind ruler, Theseus was reveling in his forthcoming wedding with Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. He so gave Hermia four days to marry Demetrius and if she didn’t comply she would have to face the gallows.
When Lysander learnt this from Hermia, he suggested that they elope to his aunt’s house which was away from the bounds of Athenian law. There they could marry and live happily. The decided to meet that night in the woods outside the city where they often met. A happy Hermia confided in Helena about the elopement and Helena in her foolish-blind love for Demetrius told him about their plan.
the woods of Athens was the dearest haunt of fairies. Oberon and Titania ruled this fairyland with their little train of followers. While there was tumult in the lives of the four lovers in Athens, the Fairy Royal couple were having a discord between them. Titania had a little changeling-boy who was left under her care by his dying mother who was her friend. Titania refused to give that boy to Oberon as a servant. An angered Oberon threatened Titania of torture and sent for his favourite privy councellor, Puck.
Puck, who was otherwise known as Robin Goodfellow, was a mischief-maker and a shrewd sprite. He played pranks on the villagers and the other fairies.
Oberon ordered Puck to fetch the flower “Love –in-Idleness”, whose juice when put on a sleeping person’s eyelids would wake up and fall in love with the first creature they saw. He decided to charm Titania and after getting the changeling boy,undo the charm.
When Puck was away, Oberon saw Demetrius and Helena and that demetruis had abandoned Helena in the forest. Felling sorry for her, he ordered Puck, on his return to apply the juice of the flower on Demetrius’s eyes who would then fall in love with Helena.
Now hermia and Lysander were walking through the woods when they tired and fell asleep in a little distance from Demetrius. Puck confused Lysander to Demetrius and pured the juice on his sleeping eyes. It so happened that Lysander woke to see a wandering Helena and fell in love with her. Helena was angered, because Lysander was engaged to marry Hermia. She thought he was making a jest of her and frightened, she ran away but Lysander ardently pursued her.
Oberon learnt Puck’s mistake and admonished him. He personally went and applied the juice on Demetrius’s eyes. Hermia woke to find herself alone. Scared, she started searching for Lysander. In the meanwhile, Helena managed to find Demetrius. On waking, the charmed Demetrius fell for her. Now, Lysander and Demetrius started pronouncing endearments to Helena and fought for her love. Hermia reached them and accused Helena of charming both the men and stealing Lysander from her. The best of friends parted ways.
Oberon learnt about this and ordered Puck to create a thick fog and lead the four lovers astray and tire them till they fall asleep to uncharm them.
He then went to look for Titania and found her asleep. There was a clown sleeping next to her with an ass’s head. When Titania woke up she saw the ass-headed clown and fell in love with him. She pampered him and cooed along with the astound clown. When she fell asleep with the clown in her arms she was uncharmed and woke to the admonishing of Oberon. Ashamed, she accepted to give him the changeling boy and they reconciled.
Oberon told Titania about the lovers and with puck’s help they poured an antidote on Lysander’s eyes. Helena woke to find Lysander next to her. They reconciled and so did Demetrius and Helena. Helena and Hermia too reconciled and Demetrius agreed to request Hermia’s father to accept Lysander which Egeus agreed as Demetrius was not interested in marrying Hermia. Oberon and Titania with their train of fairies celebrate the nuptials of the lovers and the King and Queen of Athens.
In the end Puck tells that though the events are strange, eccentric and incredible, the people must think that they are only dreaming.