Select Dramatis Personae (Characters)

The Royals

• THESEUS, Duke of Athens

• HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus

The Athenian Lovers

• LYSANDER, in love with Hermia

• DEMETRIUS, in love with Hermia

• HERMIA, in love with Lysander

• HELENA, in love with Demetrius

The Rude Mechanicals

• NICK BOTTOM, a weaver / PYRAMUS

• FRANCIS FLUTE, a bellows-mender / THISBY

The Fairy Court

• OBERON, King of the Fairies

• TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies

• PUCK, or ROBIN GOODFELLOW

Themes

• Dreams and dreamers

• Reality

• True love / "fake" love

• Unrequited love

• Arranged marriage / forced marriage

• Marital conflict and union

• Day vs. Night

• City vs. Woods

• Transformation

• Narcotic, hallucinogenic drugs

The Four Plots

In Comedy, the plot moves from chaos to order, conflict to harmony, struggle to peace. Note how and why each of these plot lines intersect to advance each plot individually and the play's plot in general through conflict to complication to resolution.

• The Royal Court

  • the framing narrative

  • the wedding is a political union leading to peace

• The Athenian Lovers

  • forced marriage

  • unrequited love

• The Rude Mechanicals: meta comic relief / satire of love and play production

  • Confusion of comedy and tragedy

  • Bottom's ambitions

  • Quince as tyrant

  • Bottom and Flute as "lovers"

• The Fairy Court

  • The antithesis of the Royal Court

  • marriage is in turmoil, affecting nature and humans

  • Changeling boy

  • Jealousy

Discussion Questions

• Consider the use of power in this play: paternal, patriarchal, magical.

• Why are Oberon and Titania fighting? How is each affected by the fight?

• Discuss the ambition and hubris of Bottom and the appropriateness of his transformation.

• Explain why Puck is one of Shakespeare's most memorable characters.

• Which character is responsible for causing most of the action in the play? How?

• Compare and contrast the female characters in the play: Hermia, Helena, Titania, and Hippolyta.

• Compare and contrast the male characters in the play: Lysander, Demetrius, Oberon and Theseus.

• What parallels are there between "Pyramus and Thisby" and A Midsummer Night's Dream?

• How are "love" and "being in love" portrayed in the play?

Full Dramatis Personae

• THESEUS, Duke of Athens
• EGEUS, father to Hermia
• LYSANDER, in love with Hermia
• DEMETRIUS, in love with Hermia
• PHILOSTRATE, Master of the Revels to Theseus
• PETER QUINCE, a carpenter / PROLOGUEli
• SNUG, a joiner / LION
• NICK BOTTOM, a weaver / PYRAMUS
• FRANCIS FLUTE, a bellows-mender / THISBY
• TOM SNOUT, a tinker / WALL
• ROBIN STARVELING, a tailor / MOONSHINE

• HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus

• HERMIA, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander
• HELENA, in love with Demetrius

• OBERON, King of the Fairies

• TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies
• PUCK, or ROBIN GOODFELLOW
• PEASEBLOSSOM, fairy
• COBWEB, fairy
• MOTH, fairy
• MUSTARDSEED, fairy

• Other Fairies attending their King and Queen

• Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta