Midsummer Night's Dream
Theme
Love's Difficulty
As Lysander said at the beginning of the play "The course of true love never did run smooth." (I.i.134). First Egus was not letting Hermia marry Lysander, and told her that if she does not marry Demetrius than she will be killed. Then due to Puck's mistake Lysander and Demetrius both started loving Helena, and after lots of chaos everything went back to normal. Lysander and Hermia, and Demetrius and Helena got married and it was a happy ending.
Magic
Magic caused chaos but it also resolved the main problem. It added to the first problem which was Demetrius loving Helena, It also made Lysander love Helena. Then later through magic both problems were resolved, Lysander loved Hermia again and Demetrius continued to love Helena.
Dreams
The play is called Midsummer Night's Dream. All the events that happened in the play were called dreams.Bottom and the 4 lovers also described everything that happened as dreams. In the beginning Hippolyta said "Four days will quickly steep themselves in night.
Four nights will quickly dream away the time." (I.i.7-8). Puck also said at the end that if the audience memeber were offended by the play think of everything that they saw was a dream
Conflict
Person vs Person
Lysander and Demetrius
Lysander and Demetrius were first fighting each other over Hermia since they both loved her. They were also fighting with each other when Puck had put the potion on both of them and they both had fallen in love with Helena.
"Relent, sweet Hermia—And, Lysander, yield
Thy crazèd title to my certain right." (I.iv.91-92)
"Now she holds me not.
Now follow, if thou darest, to try whose right,
Of thine or mine, is most in Helena" (III.ii. 346-348)
Hermia and Helena
Hermia and Helena also fight with each other when Hermia thinks that Helena won over Lysander and Helena thought that Hermia made Demetrius and Lysander act like they love her to make fun of her.
How low am I? I am not yet so low
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes (III.ii.305-306)
Characters
Hermia
Egeus's daughter, loves Lysander, friends with Hermia and hates Demetrius. Runs away with Lysander to marry him.
Helena
Loves Demetrius, and were once engaged. Lacks confidence in her looks.
Hippolyta
Queen of the Amazon. Engaged to Theseus
Egus
Hermia's father.
Theseus
King of Athen. Engaged to Hippolyta
Lysander
In love with Hermia. Due to the love potion temporarily in love with Helena.
Demetrius
In love with Hermia, but engaged to Helena. After the Potion love Helena again.
Nick Bottom
Plays Pyramus in The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe. He is a weaver.
Peter Quince
Author of the play. He is a carpenter.
Francis Flute
He is a bellows-repairman. Plays the part of Thisbe in the play.
Tom Snout
He is a handyman
Robin Starveling
He is a tailor. Plays the part of Thisbe's mother.
Snug
He is a cabinetmaker
Titania
She is the Fairy Queen and is married to Oberon.
Puck
He is Oberon's Jester and a mischievous spirit.
Oberon
He is the Fairy King. His wife is Titania.
Setting
In a forest, on the street and in Theseus's castle. The beginning of the play was in Theseus's castle where Egus came in with his complain about his daughter and then at the end when they all came to watch the play. The rest of the scenes where in the forest with fairies and the people doing the play. The four lovers also fled in to the forest. There was a short scene when the people doing the play had met up on the street.