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( www.cam.ac.uk/societies/cast/shows/2003/synopsis.html )
The actors are at hand; and by their show,
You shall know all that you are like to know.

Synopsis

I.i Theseus, Duke of Athens, discusses with Hippolyta their forthcoming marriage. Egeus arrives with his daughter, Hermia, and her two suitors, Demetrius and Lysander. Since Hermia will not marry Demetrius, whom her father prefers, but insists that she loves Lysander, Egeus wants her subjected to a law that will condemn her to death for refusing to marry the chosen groom. Lysander, declaring himself the better marital propsect, reveals that Demetrius has earlier courted Hermia's friend Helena and made her fall in love with him. Lysander and Hermia decide to elope. Helena appears, pining for Demetrius; Lysander and Hermia encourage her by telling of their plan and asserting that, with Hermia gone, Demetrius will be free again. Helena devises a plot to carry favour with Demetrius: she will tell him of the planned elopement and accompany him to the woods to intercept the pair.

I.ii Quince, with his fellow artisans Snug, Flute, Snout and Bottom, gather to rehearse the interlude they are to perform at Theseus' wedding. Quince, the director, announces the subject of their playlet - the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe - and distributes parts among the players. Bottom, who is to play Pyramus, is so confident of his acting abilities that he wants most of the other parts as well.

II.i Puck and a fairy discuss the conflict between the King of the Fairies, Oberon, whom Puck serves, and the Fairy Queen, Titania. Titania refuses to give up a changeling boy whom Oberon covets. He instructs Puck to gather for him a certain flower that he will apply to Titania's eyes while she sleeps that will cause her to fall in love with the first living being she sees when she wakes. While awaiting Puck's return, Oberon overhears Demetrius and Helena, who are now in the woods, and when Demetrius persistently refuses his admirer, the Fairy King decides that he will dose him with the flower also. Puck returns with the magical herb, and Oberon takes some to Titania. He tells Puck to find the Athenian couple and apply the rest of the potion to Demetrius.

II.ii Oberon puts juice from the plant on Titania's eyes. Lysander and Hermia enter, exhausted from wandering. They sleep, though only after Hermia has insisted that they maintain a proper distance from each other. Puck arrives, sees that they are Athenians, and, presuming that their physical separation implies a lack of love, supposes that he has found his target. He adinisters the juice to Lysander's eyes and leaves. Demetrius appears, pursued by Helena. Lysander awakes, and, seeing Helena, falls in love with her. Offended by his advances, she leaves. He follows her, and Hermia awakes to find herself alone.

III.i The mechanicals rehearse in the woods. Puck happens upon them and decides to make mischief; he gives Bottom an ass' head, which all but he can see. Bottom wakes Titania, who falls in love with him as a result of Oberon's magic.

III.ii Puck reports on Titania's ludicrous infatuation, to Oberon's delight. Demetrius and Hermia appear, arguing. She leaves angrily, and Demetrius, worn out, falls asleep. Oberon realises that the wrong man has been treated with the magical juice. He commands Puck to lure Helena, while he himself charms Demetrius with the herb. When Helena arrives, Lysander follows, pleading his love. Demetrius wakes; he falls in love with Helena and begins to praise her beauty. She concludes that the two men are mocking her, and chastises them. Hermia enters in search of Lysander. After a series of exchanges, during which first the men and then the women almost come to blows, Lysander and Demetrius stalk off to fight a duel, Helena flees Hermia's wrath, and Hermia leaves baffled. Oberon directs Puck to summon a dense fog and then to impersonate each man to the other and lead them away from any conflict. Then he is to apply an antidote to Lysander's eyes.

IV.i Titania leads Bottom to her flowery bed in the forest. Bottom is pampered by his fairy attendants, and Titania speaks adoringly to Bottom. Puck appears, and Oberon confides that Titania has surrendered her changeling to him; he decides to release her from his spell. He wakes her and tells Puck to remove the ass' head from Bottom. Theseus and Hippolyta enter; they are hunting with hounds. They discover the lovers and awake them. Lysander tells of his and Hermia's intended elopement and Demetrius announces his intention to marry Helena. They all return to Athens, leaving Bottom, who wakes amazedly and muses on the strange dream that he can't quite remember.

IV.ii Quince, Flute and Snout wonder at Bottom's absence, and Snug arrives to tell them that the Duke's festivities are about to begin. Their distress is relieved when Bottom arrives, not quite able to recount what he has seen, but prepared to lead them on-stage.

V.i Theseus discounts the lovers' experiences in the woods, attributing them to a madness that also affects lunatics and poets. The newly-weds arrive, and Theseus calls for entertainment. Quince's production of Pyramus and Thisbe is performed, and following the play, everyone departs, and the fairies, led by Puck, arrive to bless the marriage.

I.i	Theseus, Duke of Athens, discusses with Hippolyta their forthcoming marriage. Egeus arrives with his daughter, Hermia, and her two suitors, Demetrius and Lysander. Since Hermia will not marry Demetrius, whom her father prefers, but insists that she loves Lysander, Egeus wants her subjected to a law that will condemn her to death for refusing to marry the chosen groom. Lysander, declaring himself the better marital propsect, reveals that Demetrius has earlier courted Hermia's friend Helena and made her fall in love with him. Lysander and Hermia decide to elope. Helena appears, pining for Demetrius; Lysander and Hermia encourage her by telling of their plan and asserting that, with Hermia gone, Demetrius will be free again. Helena devises a plot to carry favour with Demetrius: she will tell him of the planned elopement and accompany him to the woods to intercept the pair.
I.ii	Quince, with his fellow artisans Snug, Flute, Snout and Bottom, gather to rehearse the interlude they are to perform at Theseus' wedding. Quince, the director, announces the subject of their playlet - the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe - and distributes parts among the players. Bottom, who is to play Pyramus, is so confident of his acting abilities that he wants most of the other parts as well.
II.i	Puck and a fairy discuss the conflict between the King of the Fairies, Oberon, whom Puck serves, and the Fairy Queen, Titania. Titania refuses to give up a changeling boy whom Oberon covets. He instructs Puck to gather for him a certain flower that he will apply to Titania's eyes while she sleeps that will cause her to fall in love with the first living being she sees when she wakes. While awaiting Puck's return, Oberon overhears Demetrius and Helena, who are now in the woods, and when Demetrius persistently refuses his admirer, the Fairy King decides that he will dose him with the flower also. Puck returns with the magical herb, and Oberon takes some to Titania. He tells Puck to find the Athenian couple and apply the rest of the potion to Demetrius.
II.ii	Oberon puts juice from the plant on Titania's eyes. Lysander and Hermia enter, exhausted from wandering. They sleep, though only after Hermia has insisted that they maintain a proper distance from each other. Puck arrives, sees that they are Athenians, and, presuming that their physical separation implies a lack of love, supposes that he has found his target. He adinisters the juice to Lysander's eyes and leaves. Demetrius appears, pursued by Helena. Lysander awakes, and, seeing Helena, falls in love with her. Offended by his advances, she leaves. He follows her, and Hermia awakes to find herself alone.
III.i	The mechanicals rehearse in the woods. Puck happens upon them and decides to make mischief; he gives Bottom an ass' head, which all but he can see. Bottom wakes Titania, who falls in love with him as a result of Oberon's magic.
III.ii	Puck reports on Titania's ludicrous infatuation, to Oberon's delight. Demetrius and Hermia appear, arguing. She leaves angrily, and Demetrius, worn out, falls asleep. Oberon realises that the wrong man has been treated with the magical juice. He commands Puck to lure Helena, while he himself charms Demetrius with the herb. When Helena arrives, Lysander follows, pleading his love. Demetrius wakes; he falls in love with Helena and begins to praise her beauty. She concludes that the two men are mocking her, and chastises them. Hermia enters in search of Lysander. After a series of exchanges, during which first the men and then the women almost come to blows, Lysander and Demetrius stalk off to fight a duel, Helena flees Hermia's wrath, and Hermia leaves baffled. Oberon directs Puck to summon a dense fog and then to impersonate each man to the other and lead them away from any conflict. Then he is to apply an antidote to Lysander's eyes.
IV.i	Titania leads Bottom to her flowery bed in the forest. Bottom is pampered by his fairy attendants, and Titania speaks adoringly to Bottom. Puck appears, and Oberon confides that Titania has surrendered her changeling to him; he decides to release her from his spell. He wakes her and tells Puck to remove the ass' head from Bottom. Theseus and Hippolyta enter; they are hunting with hounds. They discover the lovers and awake them. Lysander tells of his and Hermia's intended elopement and Demetrius announces his intention to marry Helena. They all return to Athens, leaving Bottom, who wakes amazedly and muses on the strange dream that he can't quite remember.
IV.ii	Quince, Flute and Snout wonder at Bottom's absence, and Snug arrives to tell them that the Duke's festivities are about to begin. Their distress is relieved when Bottom arrives, not quite able to recount what he has seen, but prepared to lead them on-stage.
V.i	Theseus discounts the lovers' experiences in the woods, attributing them to a madness that also affects lunatics and poets. The newly-weds arrive, and Theseus calls for entertainment. Quince's production of Pyramus and Thisbe is performed, and following the play, everyone departs, and the fairies, led by Puck, arrive to bless the marriage.