A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT'S DREAM
By William
Shakespeare
GROUP 4
author's Background
William Shakespeare
• Born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
• Son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden
• Married Anne Hathaway in 1582 and had three children
Literary Contributions
• Wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 narrative poems
• His works span comedies, tragedies, and histories
• His works remain widely adapted in theater, film, and literature
• Innovated the use of iambic pentameter and enriched the
English vocabulary
BACKGROUND OF
THE STORY
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy by William
Shakespeare, written around 1595-1596. The play is set in
Athens and a magical forest and follows multiple intertwined
storylines. The main plot revolves around the upcoming
wedding of Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta. Meanwhile,
four young lovers—Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena—
flee into the woods, where they encounter mischievous fairies,
including the trickster Puck.
At the same time, a group of amateur actors rehearses a play
for the wedding. Chaos unfolds when Oberon, the Fairy King,
uses a magical flower to manipulate affections, leading to
mistaken identities and humorous mix-ups.
Eventually, order is restored, and the play ends with
plot
1. Exposition (Introduction)
The play begins in Athens, where Duke Theseus is preparing
to marry Hippolyta. Meanwhile, Hermia is in love with
Lysander, but her father insists she marry Demetrius. Helena,
Hermia’s friend, secretly loves Demetrius, who does not love
her back. Meanwhile, in the fairy world, Oberon and Titania,
the king and queen of the fairies, are in conflict over a
changeling boy.
2. Inciting Incident
Hermia and Lysander decide to run away into the forest,
pursued by Demetrius and Helena. Oberon, witnessing
Demetrius rejecting Helena, orders his mischievous servant
Puck to use a magic flower to make Demetrius love Helena.
Puck mistakenly enchants Lysander instead, causing him to
fall in love with Helena and abandon Hermia.
3. Rising Action
The confusion deepens as Puck also enchants Titania, making her fall in love
with Bottom, a foolish actor whose head Puck transforms into that of a
donkey. The four lovers argue in the forest due to the mistaken enchantment,
leading to comical misunderstandings and heartbreak. The mechanicals, a
group of amateur actors, rehearse their play for Theseus’s wedding, adding
another layer of humor.
4. Climax
The height of chaos occurs when both Lysander and Demetrius love Helena,
causing Hermia to feel betrayed and sparking a quarrel between the women.
The enchanted Titania, under the spell, dotes on Bottom, leading to
absurdity. The conflicts peak as the lovers nearly come to blows, and the
situation seems irreparable.
5. Falling Action
Oberon, realizing the chaos, orders Puck to undo his mistakes. He removes
the spell from Lysander, returning his love to Hermia. Titania is also freed
from her enchantment, and Oberon and Titania reconcile.
6. Resolution
The lovers wake up, believing the events were just
a dream. Theseus overrules Hermia’s father and
allows her to marry Lysander. Demetrius, now
genuinely enchanted, remains in love with Helena,
creating a balanced resolution. Theseus invites the
couples to be married alongside him and Hippolyta.
7. Denouement (Conclusion)
The play ends with comic relief as the mechanicals
perform their hilariously bad play, "Pyramus and
Thisbe," at the wedding celebration. Puck delivers
a final monologue, suggesting that the audience
consider the events as nothing more than a dream.
Setting
Athens
A city of law and order,
ruled by Duke Theseus. It is
the center of human
civilization, where
marriages and social
expectations dictate
people's lives.
The Enchanted Forest
A wild, magical place inhabited
by fairies, including Oberon,
Titania, and Puck. It is a realm of
illusion and chaos, where love
spells and transformations
create confusion among the
Characters
• Theseus – Duke of Athens, • Helena – Desperately in love
engaged to Hippolyta. with Demetrius.
• Hippolyta – Queen of the • Oberon – King of the fairies,
Amazons, betrothed to Theseus. feuding with Titania.
• Hermia – Loves Lysander but is • Titania – Queen of the fairies,
ordered to marry Demetrius. enchanted to love Bottom.
• Lysander – Loves Hermia and • Puck (Robin Goodfellow) – A
plans to elope with her. mischievous fairy who causes
much of the confusion.
• Demetrius – Initially loves Hermia
but later falls for Helena. • Nick Bottom – A weaver turned
into a donkey and briefly loved by
Titania.
POINT OF VIEW
Third-person objective
Theme
Comedy and Love’s Complexity
Foolishness
Love is unpredictable,
Love makes people act irrational, and often
foolishly, adding humor influenced by outside
to the story. forces.
Order vs. Chaos Reality vs. Illusion
Athens represents The play blurs the line
structure, while the between dreams and
enchanted forest brings reality, questioning
magic and disorder what is real.
Symbolis
Roses - Symbolize femininity, desire, and fertility, often linked to love and
passion.
The
m
Love Potion - Highlights love’s irrational and unpredictable nature,
showing how easily emotions can be altered.
The Woods - A place of transformation, magic, and chaos, representing freedom
from societal rules.
Flowers - Especially the one used for the love potion, symbolize enchantment
and the unpredictable power of magic.
Eyes/Sight - Represent perception and illusion, emphasizing how love and emotions distort
reality.
Night - Symbolizes mystery, mischief, and the unknown, creating a space for dreams,
danger, and adventure.
THANK YOU
BY GROUP 4
ANY QUESTION?
