William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream Setting
Characters Theseus- Duke of Athens. He is asked by Egeus to force his daughter to marry another man, loving love he gives the couples a choice. In the end he marries his love and shares his wedding day with two other couples. Hippolyta- Former queen of the amazons.At the end she marries Theseus. Philostrate- Master of the Revels. Serves Theseus kinda like a servant and keeps track of events occurring in Athens. Egeus- Hermia's father. Wants Theseus to force Hermia into a marriage with the man he chose. Hermia- Daughter of Egeus. She loves Lysander but their love is forbidden. She is faced with marring Demetrius or joining a nunnery. If she refuses both then according to an old Athenian law she will be executed for disobeying her father. Hermia decides to run away with Lysander and she winds up in the forest where the mischievous faeries flip her world around and bring Hermia and her lover together in marriage at the end. Lysander- Hermia beloved. Convinces Hermia to run away so that they can be together. When he falls asleep in the forest the fairy Puck puts love juice in his eyes, this juice makes him fall in love with Helena. He fights with Demetrius for Helena but Puck tricks him so he will fall asleep from exhaustion. Puck then corrects the love juice and set things right and he falls back in love with Hermia and marries her at the end. Demetrius- Starts out loving Hermia and being Egeus's choice for Hermia's husband. Follows Hermia and Lysander into the forest where he is also anointed with love juice. The juice makes him fall in love with Helena and fight Lysander for her affection. Puck leaves the love juice in his eyes and he stays in love with Helena instead of being in love with Hermia. At the end he marries Helena. Helena- Loves Demetrius but he rejects her at first. She believes that everyone hates her and blames Hermia for taking her love Demetrius. Helena tells Demetrius that his love Helena is running away, she hopes that by telling him she will gain his favor and he will slowly love her back, but he doesn't. She tags along with Demetrius to the forest. In the forest Demetrius and Lysander fall in love with her due to the love juice. She gets upset saying that Demetrius, Lysander and Hermia are all making fun of her with this cruel joke that they are playing. When Puck fixes everything Helena stays with Demetrius who still loves her due to the love juice, and they get married at the end.
(Sammantha Mcclughen,The couples)
Point of View
Possible Meanings of the Work (Themes) with Explanations
Setting
Characters
Theseus- Duke of Athens. He is asked by Egeus to force his daughter to marry another man, loving love he gives the couples a choice. In the end he marries his love and shares his wedding day with two other couples.
Hippolyta- Former queen of the amazons.At the end she marries Theseus.
Philostrate- Master of the Revels. Serves Theseus kinda like a servant and keeps track of events occurring in Athens.
Egeus- Hermia's father. Wants Theseus to force Hermia into a marriage with the man he chose.
Hermia- Daughter of Egeus. She loves Lysander but their love is forbidden. She is faced with marring Demetrius or joining a nunnery. If she refuses both then according to an old Athenian law she will be executed for disobeying her father. Hermia decides to run away with Lysander and she winds up in the forest where the mischievous faeries flip her world around and bring Hermia and her lover together in marriage at the end.
Lysander- Hermia beloved. Convinces Hermia to run away so that they can be together. When he falls asleep in the forest the fairy Puck puts love juice in his eyes, this juice makes him fall in love with Helena. He fights with Demetrius for Helena but Puck tricks him so he will fall asleep from exhaustion. Puck then corrects the love juice and set things right and he falls back in love with Hermia and marries her at the end.
Demetrius- Starts out loving Hermia and being Egeus's choice for Hermia's husband. Follows Hermia and Lysander into the forest where he is also anointed with love juice. The juice makes him fall in love with Helena and fight Lysander for her affection. Puck leaves the love juice in his eyes and he stays in love with Helena instead of being in love with Hermia. At the end he marries Helena.
Helena- Loves Demetrius but he rejects her at first. She believes that everyone hates her and blames Hermia for taking her love Demetrius. Helena tells Demetrius that his love Helena is running away, she hopes that by telling him she will gain his favor and he will slowly love her back, but he doesn't. She tags along with Demetrius to the forest. In the forest Demetrius and Lysander fall in love with her due to the love juice. She gets upset saying that Demetrius, Lysander and Hermia are all making fun of her with this cruel joke that they are playing. When Puck fixes everything Helena stays with Demetrius who still loves her due to the love juice, and they get married at the end.
(Sammantha Mcclughen,The couples)
Point of View
Possible Meanings of the Work (Themes) with Explanations
5 Important Quotations with Explanations
Issues of Style
Symbolism
Historical Significance
About the Author