A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare
THE CHARACTERS
HERMIA _____________________________________________________________
LYSANDER: __________________________________________________________
DEMETRIUS: ________________________________________________________
HELENA: _____________________________________________________________
THESEUS (Duke of Athens): ______________________________________
HIPPOLYTA (Theseus’ future wife): ____________________________
EGEUS (Hermia’s father): ________________________________________

OBERON (King of the Fairies): ___________________________________

TITANIA (Queen of the Fairies): ________________________________
PUCK: ________________________________________________________________
THE FAIRIES: _______________________________________________________
THE ASS: ____________________________________________________________
The presenter of the play _________________________________________

ACT I (SCENE 1) – THESEUS’ PALACE

(Theseus and Hippolyta are in the great hall of the palace)

Theseus: We are getting married in four days but the time is passing slowly. I want
to marry you today!

Hippolyta: Don’t worry! The days pass quickly. We will be husband and wife very
soon.

Theseus: You are right! I’ll be patient but the next four days will be festive days.
There must be parties and celebrations every day.

(Egeus, Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius enter)

Egeus: I hope that you are well, my lord.

Theseus: I am. How are you?

Egeus: I’m very angry with my daughter, Hermia. She doesn’t want to marry
Demetrius. She loves Lysander! He sang her under the window, gave her presents
and wrote her love poems. But the law of Athens says that she must obey me.

Theseus: What do you think, Hermia? You know you must obey your father.
Demetrius is a good and noble man.

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Hermia: Yes, my lord, but Lysander is also a good and noble man.

Theseus: Yes, you are right. But your father prefers Demetrius.

Hermia: My father should look at Lysander with my eyes.

Theseus: No, you should look at the situation with your father’s eyes.

Hermia: My lord, what will happen to me if I don’t marry Demetrius?

Thesesus: You will have to choose between execution or a convent for the rest of
your life.

Hermia: Then I choose to go to a convent and be a nun for the rest of my life.

Theseus: Don’t decide so quickly. Take some time to think. You have four days.
Your options are Demetrius, execution or being a nun.

Demetrius: Please change your opinion, Hermia and marry me. And you, Lysander,
stop trying to take Hermia from me.

Lysander: I am as attractive and noble and rich as Demetrius and I’ve got Hermia’s
love. Why can’t I marry her? Demetrius loved has another lady love. Some time ago
he captured the heart of Helena, Hermia’s friend, but then he decided that he was
in love with Hermia. Poor Helena is still in love with him. Can’t you see? Demetrius
is not a constant man!

Theseus: Hermia must take the decision. I suggest you to obey your father. I will
ask you again the day of my wedding. And now, let’s go. I must prepare my
wedding.

(Theseus, Hippolyta, Demetrius and Egeus exit. Hermia starts crying)

Lysander: Don’t cry, Hermia. There is a solution to our problem. I’ve got a rich
aunt. She lives near Athens. She considers me her son. We can get married at her
house because the law of Athens can’t control us there. Leave your father’s house
tomorrow night and meet me in the wood. I will wait for you there.

Hermia: I’ll be there my love!

(Helena enters)

How are you Helena?

Helena: I’m suffering because Demetrius is in love with you. What did you do to
capture his heart?

Hermia: I did nothing! On the contrary, I detest him!

Helena: You didn’t do anything, except be beautiful! I love him but he continues to
detest me. (she starts crying).

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Hermia: I’m sorry Helena but don’t worry. Lysander and me are leaving Athens
tomorrow night. We want to be together! We are going to meet in the wood. Pray
for us. Goodbye my friend!

Lysander: I hope Demetrius learns to love you as much as you love him. Goodbye
Helena!

(Hermia and Lysander exit)

Helena: I’m going to tell Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander’s plans. He will
follow them into the wood tomorrow night. Then he will understand that Hermia
will never love him and he will return to me.

ACT II (SCENE 1) – A WOOD NEAR ATHENS

(Puck and a fairy enter from different directions)

Puck: What are you doing here, Fairy?

Fairy: I’m preparing this place of the wood for Titania, the Queen of the Fairies. She
is planning to sleep here tonight.

Puck: But my master, Oberon, the King of the Fairies, also plans to sleep here
tonight. Tell the Queen she can’t sleep here tonight. King Oberon is very angry with
her because she doesn’t want to give him the Indian boy. Look! He is coming now!

Fairy: Oh, no! My Queen is also coming!

(Oberon and Titania enter)

Oberon: I’m not happy to see you, Titania. I am angry with you.

Titania: And I don’t want to see you, Oberon. Goodbye!

Oberon: Wait! Am I not your husband and lord?

Titania: Yes, but you aren’t being nice to me and I don’t want to be with you.
Remember that the people from the earth are suffering while we are separated..
Now the weather is changing all the time. Plants and vegetables aren’t growing.
Animals are dying and people are hungry.

Oberon: You can solve everything very easily. Give me the Indian boy and I will be
happy.

Titania: I can’t do that. They boy is very special to me because he is the son of my
best friend. She died when he was born and I promised to look after him.

Oberon: Give me the boy and I will be with you.

Titania: Goodbye, Oberon! I don’t want to spend my time with you anymore.

(Titania exits)

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Oberon: Puck, go and find the magical flower. If you put its juice on a sleeping
person’s eyelids, they will fall in love with the first person or animal they see when
they wake up. Find this flower and bring it to me.

Puck: Yes, master. I will find this flower for you.

Oberon: I will put the flower’s juice on Titania’s eyes while she is sleeping. Then,
she will fall in love with an ugly animal, like an ass. Then she will give me the
Indian boy without a problem.

But what’s that noise? People are coming! Let’s go, Puck…

Demetrius: Stop following me! I don’t love you! I’m being honest with you. I can’t
love you because I love Hermia. I’m trying to find her. She is meeting Demetrius
here.

Helena: Yes! But I love you!

Demetrius: I don’t want to see you any more. Leave this place. I will hurt you if you
follow me.

Helena: I don’t care if you hurt me! It will be an honour (Helena exits).

Oberon: Good luck, sweet woman. I promise you that Demetrius will soon fall in
love with you. (Puck enters). Puck, did you find the flower?

Puck: Yes, here it is.

Oberon: I’ll put some of the love juice on Titania’s eyes. And now, take some of the
juice and put it on the eyes of Demetrius. Make sure that the first person he sees
when he wakes up is the sweet Athenian lady. You will recognise Demetrius
because he is wearing Athenian clothes.

Puck: Do not worry my lord! I’ll do exactly as you say! (Oberon and Puck exit).

ACT II (SCENE TWO) – THE WOOD

(Titania enters with her court)

Titania: I’ll rest here. Fairies, sing me a song so that I can fall asleep.

(The fairies sing and then leave Titania sleeping. Oberon enters and puts the love
juice on Titania’s eyelids).

Oberon: You will fall in love with the first thing you see. I order you to wake only
when there is an ugly animal close to you. (Oberon exits. Lysander and Hermia
enter).

Lysander: Hermia, I think we are lost and you look tired. Let’s sleep here until the
morning.

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Hermia: Ok but must find another place to sleep. We shouldn’t sleep together. We
aren’t married yet and it is not right.

Lysander: OK, I will sleep under that big tree. Sleep well, my darling.

(Lysander and Hermia go to sleep. Puck enters and puts the love juice on
Lysander’s eyelids. Then, Puck exits. Demetrius enters, running. Helena follows
him).

Helena: Please stay with me, Demetrius!

Demetrius: Stop following me. I don’t love you!

Helena: Please, don’t leave me here!... (She sees Lysander sleeping and stops). Who
is that on the ground? Is it Lysander? Is he dead? Oh, please, wake up, Lysander!
(Lysander wakes up and looks lovingly at Helena).

Lysander: Helena! Where is Demetrius? I want to kill him because he treated you
so badly!

Helena: Don’t say that! I know that he wants Hermia, but she loves you.

Lysander: I’m not happy with Hermia! I don’t love her. I love you, Helena.

Helena: You aren’t serious. You are playing a cruel joke on me! You aren’t a
gentleman!

(Helena exits crying. Lysander looks at Hermia sleeping)

Lysander: Continue sleeping Hermia. I don’t want to see you again. I love Helena
now and must be with her. (Lysander exits).

Hermia: I had a bad dream. Lysander! Lysander! Where are you? (she exits).

(Titania enters. She has been sleeping for hours. Then, an ass enters. It starts to
sing).

Titania: That was beautiful! Please stay with me always. My fairies will attend to
you and will give you lovely presents. Fairies! Come to me! You must all be kind to
this beautiful man. Give him everything he wants.

(Titania and her court exit hugging the ass)

ACT III (SCENE TWO) – THE WOOD

(Oberon enters Oberon. Puck follows him)

Oberon: What did Titania see when she woke up?

Puck: She saw an ugly ass and now she’s in love with him!

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Oberon: This is better than I expected. Did you put the love juice on the young
Athenian’s eyes?

Puck: Yes, I did. Look! They are there!

(Hermia and Demetrius enter. They can’t see Oberon and Puck).

Demetrius: Why can’t you love me Hermia? I am too tired. I’ll sleep here for a short
time.

(Demetrius falls asleep)

Oberon: This is the Athenian gentleman.

Puck: That’s the same woman but he isn’t the same man.

Oberon: What did you do? You put the love juice on the wrong person! Go and find
Helena quickly and bring her here.

Puck: I promise that I will be quick! (Puck exits. Oberon puts the love juice on
Demetrius’ eyelids. Puck returns). Helena is coming here.

(Lysander and Helena enter)

Lysander: I’m not lying, Helena! I love you!

Helena: You don’t love me. You love Hermia!

(Demetrius wakes up and looks at Helena. He loves her immediately)

Demetrius: Oh, Helena! You’re perfect! You’re divine! You’re my true love!

Helena: Oh, no! Now you are both ridiculing me! Why are you so evil to me? (she
starts to cry)

Lysander: (turns to Demetrius) Don’t hurt Helena. I know that you love Hermia.
You can have Hermia’s love because I love Helena now.

Demetrius: You can keep Hermia. I don’t love her any more. I love Helena again
and I’ll always love her. (Hermia enters)

Hermia: Lysander! I’m so happy to see you!

Lysander: I left you because I don’t love you. I love Helena!

Hermia: This can’t be true!

Helena: Hermia, now you are ridiculing me, too! We aren’t really friends! You
detest me!

Hermia: What are you saying? I don’t detest you! You are my friend!

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Helena: You planned this! Lysander and Demetrius appear to love me, but it is not
true! You are responsible! You want to humiliate me!

Hermia: I don’t understand what you are saying! I didn’t do anything!

Helena: I don’t believe you! I’m leaving! You’ll never see me again!

Lysander: Please stay, Helena! You’re my life! I love you!

Demetrius: Helena, I love you more than Lysander does.

Lysander: In that case, Demetrius, let’s leave the ladies and fight for Helena’s love.

Demetrius: Let’s go!

(Oberon turns to Puck)

Oberon: What this a mistake or did you plan it?

Puck: Believe me, my king, it was a mistake. I put the love juice in the eyelids of a
young with Athenian clothes. But there were two young men with Athenian clothes
in the wood, Demetrius and Lysander.

Oberon: Well, now, the two men want to fight each other. (Oberon gives Puck an
herb). You must put this herb on Lysander’s eyelids while he is sleeping. It’s an
antidote for the love juice. He will be in love with Hermia. Now, I am going to find
Titania and ask her for the Indian boy.

(Oberon exits, Puck hides. Lysander enters)

Lysander: Where are you, Demetrius? (Lysander feels very tired). I can’t continue
running. I will have a rest here for a time. (He falls asleep).

(Demetrius enters)

Demetrius: Where are you, Lysander? I can’t follow you anymore. I prefer to stay
until morning. I will sleep here tonight! (He goes to sleep near a tree).

(Helena enters)

Helena: I can’t return to Athens now. I am too tired. (Helena goes to sleep. A few
seconds later, Hermia enters).

Hermia: I am so tired! I’m so sad! I can’t walk any more! I’ll sleep here until
morning.

(Hermia goes to sleep too. Puck walks to Lysander and puts the antidote on his
eyelids).

Puck: Lysander, sleep well! You’ll be in love with Hermia again when you wake up.
Everything will be OK. (Puck exits).

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 ACT IV (SCENE ONE) – EARLY MORNING

(Lysander, Demetrius, Helena and Hermia are sleeping. Botton and Titania enter
with her court). Oberon follows them but he is invisible).

Titania: Come and sit down, my love! Are you confortable? Do you want to listen to
some music? Do you want to eat something?

Bottom: Your fairies must leave. I want to sleep a little.

Titania: Sleep in my arms, my love. Leave us, fairies.

(Titania’s fairies exit. Bottom and Titania fall asleep. Puck and Oberon enter.)

Oberon: (turns to Puck.) My plan worked perfectly. Titania gave me the Indian boy.
Soon this ugly creature will wake up and the two pairs of lovers also. They must go
home. Let them think that what happened here tonight was just a strange dream.
But first, I want to give Titania the antidote for the love juice and wake her up.
(Oberon walks to the sleeping Titania) Be like you were before. See things like you
saw them before and wake up, my sweet queen.

Titania: (she wakes up.) Oberon! I had such a strange dream! I dreamed that I was
in love with an ugly animal! An ass!!

Oberon: There he is, there is the ass!

Titania: How did it happen? He is very ugly!

Oberon: I’ll tell you soon, but first make these Athenian normal again. Puck, let
these people remember tonight as a dream.

(Puck goes to the four sleeping people and speaks quietly in each person’s ear.
Then he returns to Oberon)

Puck: It is done, my lord.

Oberon: Good. It’s nearly morning. Titania, you and I are creatures of the night. We
must go with the darkness to the other side of the world. Come, my queen. I’m
happy that we are together again.

Titania: Let’s go! You can tell me what happened while we travel.

(Oberon, Titania and Puck exit. Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus enter).

Theseus: This will be a beautiful morning for hunting! What’s this? What are these
people doing here? Why are they all sleeping?

Egeus: My lord, it’s my daughther, Hermia and Demetrius, Lysander and Helena.
Why are they all together?

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Theseus: Good morning, friends! What are you doing here? Lysander, I know that
you and Demetrius are rivals and enemies. Why were you sleeping in the same
place?

Lysander: I don’t know, my lord. I only remember that Hermia and I came into the
wood to escape from Athens because we wanted to get married.

Egeus: (turns to Theseus) You heard Lysander confess his crime, my lord. You
must punish him. He didn’t pay attention to our wishes and he tried to steal
Hermia from Demetrius.

Demetrius: Please, listen to me, my lord Theseus. Helena told me about Lysander’s
plans. I was very angry and followed them into the wood. Helena followed me here
also. But then something happened and it’s difficult to explain it. I only know that
my love for Hermia disappeared and I love Helena now. I want to marry her.
Please, my lord Theseus, let Lysander marry hermia and let Helena marry me.

Theseus: Very well, Demetrius. You four are very lucky to find solutions to your
love problems. I’m happy for all of you. Let’s get married at the same time. We’ll
have three weddings, not one. Let’s cancel the hunt and go back to Athens. We
need to prepare the weddings ceremonies and the banquet.

(Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus and the servants exit)

Demetrius: Are we awake or are we still dreaming? I’m not sure.

Hermia: (very happy) It’s not a dream! The Duke accepts my love for Lysander
now. He also accepts you will marry Helena.

Helena: We are all very lucky! Let’s follow the Duke to Athens. We’ll talk about our
dreams while we walk.

(Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helena exit. The ass wakes up and leaves.)

(Puck enters)

Good night, dear friends! I hope you that you enjoyed our story. We didn’t intend
to offend or insult you. But if we did, please just think of our story as a dream – a
sweet midsummer night’s dream.

THE END