A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Study Guide

First performed around 1596, Shakespeare’s comic fantasy of four lovers who find themselves bewitched by fairies is a sly reckoning with love, jealousy and marriage. For centuries it’s been one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays. Read a character analysis of Puck, plot summary, and important quotes.

Summary

Read a Plot Overview of the entire play or a scene by scene Summary and Analysis.

Plot Overview
Video Plot Summary
Five Key Questions
What Does the Ending Mean?

Summary & Analysis
Act I, scene i
Act I, scene ii
Act II, scene i
Act II, scene ii
Act III, scene i
Act III, scenes ii–iii
Act IV, scene i
Act IV, scene ii
Act V, scenes i–epilogue

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in-depth analyses of Puck, Nick Bottom, Helena, Theseus, and Hermia.

Character List
Puck
Nick Bottom
Helena
Theseus
Hermia

Main Ideas

Here's where you'll find analysis about the play as a whole, from the major themes and ideas to analysis of style, tone, point of view, and more.

Themes
Plot Analysis
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Motifs
Symbols
Genre
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
Is Love More Important than Friendship?

Quotes

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the play by reading these key quotes.

Important Quotations Explained

Quotes by Theme
Jealousy
Mischief
Transformation
Unreason
Reversal

Quotes by Section
Act I, scene i
Act I, scene ii
Act II, scene i
Act II, scene ii
Act III, scene i
Act III, scenes ii–iii
Act IV, scene i
Act IV, scene ii
Act V, scenes i–epilogue

Quotes by Character
Nick Bottom
Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow)
Helena
Theseus
Hermia

Further Study

Test your knowledge of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with our quizzes and study questions, or go further with essays on the context and background and links to the best resources around the web.