A Midsummer Night's Dream

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" was written by William Shakespeare in about 1595/96. It is a comic play in five acts that are set in an Athenian forest inhabited by fairies. It is a multilayered story comprising several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Duke Theseus of Athens and Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. The main plot involves four Athenian lovers-Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius. These suitors become the target of the meddling caprices of King Oberon and Queen Titania of the Fairies, who are assisted in their mischievous ploys by their servant Puck. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" playfully explores the whimsical and nonsensical nature of love, making it one of Shakespeare's most popular and widely performed plays.