Hermia is promised to wed Demetrius, but she loves Lysander, so Hermia and Lysander take refuge in the forest to escape the wrath of the Duke of Athens, who wants the planned wedding to occur. Demetrius follows them and is followed by Helena, who loves him, though he despises her. The two young couples wander in the forest trying to sort out their loves and hates. Meanwhile, Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairies, are arguing. Oberon orders his servant Puck to fetch a magic herb. When the young lovers all approach, Oberon apprehends the situation and in amusement orders Puck to use the magic to ‘cure’ Demetrius of his dislike of Helena. In another subplot, Bottom and his tradesmen friends rehearse to put on a play for the Duke’s wedding celebrations. Puck mistakenly applies the love-potion to the eyes of Lysander, so that when he awakens and sees Helena, he falls in love with her, which she believes to be mockery. Oberon also applies the potion to the sleeping Titania, and she falls for Bottom, whom Puck has mischievously and magically transformed so that he has a donkey’s head. When Puck realizes that he gave the potion to Lysander, he applies it next to Demetrius, who also awakens and sees Helena; now both of them are in love with her, whereas at the beginning they both loved Hermia. All four quarrel so much that Oberon is angry at Puck. The next morning, the fairies reconcile and the lovers resolve their situation to everyone’s satisfaction. A comedy of magic, mistaken identity, reconciliation, and self-discovery.