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In the city of Athens, Duke Theseus was preparing to marry Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. The city was filled with excitement for their grand wedding. But just as the celebrations were being planned, a nobleman named Egeus came to Theseus with a complaint. His daughter, Hermia, refused to marry the man he had chosen for her, Demetrius. Hermia, instead, loved a young man named Lysander. Egeus was angry and demanded that the Duke make Hermia obey him. According to Athenian law, if she disobeyed, she could be punished with death or be forced to become a nun.
Theseus tried to reason with Hermia and gave her some time to decide. But Hermia was brave and deeply in love with Lysander. The two decided to run away into the forest that night, where the laws of Athens could not reach them. Hermia told her best friend, Helena, about their plan. However, Helena was secretly in love with Demetrius, who no longer loved her and only wanted Hermia. Out of jealousy and a hope to win his favor, Helena told Demetrius that Hermia and Lysander were running away. Demetrius, upon hearing this, rushed into the forest to find them, and Helena followed him.
In the forest, strange things were happening. It was a magical place ruled by the fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania. They were having an argument. Titania refused to give Oberon a young boy she had adopted from an Indian king. She loved the boy and cared for him deeply, but Oberon wanted the child to be part of his group of fairy servants. Angry and hurt, Oberon decided to play a trick on her using a magic flower whose juice, when placed on a sleeping person’s eyes, made them fall in love with the first creature they saw upon waking.
Oberon sent his mischievous servant, Puck, to find this magic flower. As Oberon watched over the forest, he saw Helena following Demetrius, begging for his love. Demetrius rudely rejected her, calling her names and trying to escape. Feeling sorry for her, Oberon decided to help. He instructed Puck to put the flower juice on the eyes of the man wearing Athenian clothes so that he would fall in love with Helena when he woke up. But Puck made a mistake. In the forest, he found Lysander sleeping beside Hermia and thought he was the one Oberon meant. He put the juice on Lysander’s eyes.
When Helena, tired and sad, stumbled upon Lysander, she woke him up. As soon as he opened his eyes and saw her, the spell took hold. Lysander instantly fell in love with Helena, forgetting all about Hermia. Helena was shocked and thought he was mocking her. When Hermia woke up and saw what was happening, she was heartbroken. Lysander now hated her and followed Helena, leaving Hermia alone in confusion and despair.
Meanwhile, Oberon used the magic flower on Titania while she slept in her beautiful fairy bed surrounded by flowers. Soon after, a group of Athenian craftsmen entered the forest. They were preparing a play to perform at the Duke’s wedding. Among them was Nick Bottom, a cheerful weaver who loved to act. They rehearsed loudly, disturbing the fairies. Puck, seeing this as a chance for mischief, transformed Bottom’s head into that of a donkey. When his friends saw him, they screamed and ran away in terror. Bottom, unaware of his new appearance, began to sing loudly.
The noise woke Titania, and when she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Bottom with his donkey head. Under the spell of the magic flower, she instantly fell in love with him. She called her fairies to serve him, bringing him food and flowers, and treating him like royalty. Oberon soon found this very funny. However, he was still angry with Puck for confusing Lysander and Demetrius. Oberon himself went and used the magic flower on Demetrius, who was still wandering the forest in anger. When Helena came near him, Demetrius woke and immediately fell in love with her.
Now both men, Lysander and Demetrius, were in love with Helena, fighting for her affection, while poor Hermia was left heartbroken and furious. Helena thought both of them were mocking her, and Hermia thought Helena had stolen her lover. The four of them quarreled in the forest, shouting and accusing one another. Oberon, realizing the chaos, ordered Puck to fix everything. He told him to create darkness and mist in the forest so the lovers would lose each other. When they were asleep, Puck used another herb to undo the first spell on Lysander so he would love Hermia again.
At dawn, the forest became peaceful. Titania was still doting on Bottom, brushing his ears and singing to him. Oberon felt sorry for her and decided it was time to end the trick. He placed the magic juice on her eyes to break the spell. When Titania woke up, she was shocked to see she had been in love with a donkey-headed man. Oberon laughed and explained what had happened. She forgave him, and the two were happily reunited. Puck removed Bottom’s donkey head, and the fairy couple prepared to bless the Duke’s upcoming wedding.
When morning came, Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus entered the forest, searching for the young lovers. They found them sleeping peacefully on the ground. Theseus woke them up, and everyone was confused for a moment as the memories of the night felt like a dream. Lysander confessed his love for Hermia, and Demetrius said his love for Helena had returned. Theseus, pleased to see them all happy, decided they would all marry together in one grand celebration.
As they returned to Athens, Bottom also woke up, wondering about the strange dream he had of being loved by a fairy queen. He soon rejoined his friends to prepare their play. That evening, at the Duke’s palace, the weddings took place. Theseus married Hippolyta, Lysander married Hermia, and Demetrius married Helena. After the grand feast, the craftsmen performed their play about Pyramus and Thisbe. It was clumsy and silly, but everyone laughed and enjoyed it. Bottom, proud of his performance, became the center of attention, even though his play was full of mistakes.
When night fell and the guests went to rest, the fairies entered the palace silently. Oberon and Titania danced gracefully and blessed the new couples, wishing them happiness and peace. Puck followed them, laughing softly as he spread fairy dust around the room. The magic of the forest seemed to follow everyone, making the air feel light and full of dreams. Oberon and Titania’s quarrel was over, and love had been restored everywhere — between mortals and fairies alike.
After all the joy and laughter, Puck came forward to speak to the audience. He said that if anyone felt offended by the story, they should think of it as only a dream. The forest’s magic, after all, was just like the dreams people have when they sleep — full of love, confusion, and wonder. As the moonlight faded and the fairies vanished, everything returned to peace. The night of midsummer ended, leaving behind memories of strange adventures, foolish quarrels, and the triumph of love that conquered all.