Act I/Scene I

Appearing characters (in order): Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostrate, Egeus, Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander, Helena

Plot[]

The scene starts by Theseus, the duke of Athens complaining to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons captured by him about why he can’t marry her before four days pass.

Hippolyta calms him down by telling that the four days will quickly pass by “dreaming away the time”.

Theseus calls Philostrate, his Master of Revels and simply tells him to start the preparations for the celebration of the marriage of him with Hippolyta.

After Philostrate exits the scene, Theseus tells Hippolyta (and also the reader indirectly) that he had captured her from the Amazons after he had conquered there and persuaded her to marry him by threating her to kill her with his sword (as in the line “Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword". Note that the word "woo'd" means "persuaded").

Then Egeus, his daughter Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius enter the scene. Egeus tells Theseus to be happy about being the renowned duke of Athens.

After Theseus thanks Egeus for his praises, Egeus complains to him about how his daughter, Hermia wants to marry Lysander instead of Demetrius; as he wants her to marry Demetrius. During his complaint, he also tells how Lysander charmed his daughter by “knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats”. He finishes his complaint by telling Theseus that as he is her father, he can easily tell Hermia what to do and the law of Athens must punish her necessarily by death penalty if she does not obey him.

Having listened to this persuasive complaint, Theseus turns to Hermia and tells her to be “advised” and obey her father, as Demetrius is a “worthy gentleman”.

Hermia protests this by saying that Lysander is worthy too but Theseus says that according to her father’s sayings, Demetrius must be held worthier.

This starts a short argument between Theseus and Hermia. While Hermia tells Theseus that her father must look at the situation with her eyes and thoughts, Theseus tells Hermia that her eyes must look with her father’s judgement. Hermia insists to Theseus that she will still marry Lysander. Then Theseus tells that she will be punished by death penalty or being condemned from men forever by being held in pilgrimage.

When the argument ends, Demetrius tells Hermia to give up and marry him. Lysander replies to this by saying that Hermia’s father loves Demetrius but Hermia herself does not. Egeus rebuffs and tells Lysander that even only his love and trust to Demetrius is enough for him to marry Hermia.

Lysander tells Egeus that he is as well “derived and possessed” and he loves Hermia more than Demetrius. He also tells that Demetrius does not actually love Hermia but he instead loves Nedar’s daughter, Helena.

Theseus stops this argument and says that he is “over-full of self affairs”, so he should take Egeus and Demetrius to give them some “private schooling”. He also tells Hippolyta to come with him. Meanwhile, he repeats to Hermia about what will happen if she does not accept the marriage.

When Lysander and Hermia stay alone, they complain to each other about how the authority of Athens does not let them to marry.

Lysander tells Hermia that he has a rich aunt that lives in a house seven leagues from Athens and he can marry her there, as the “sharp Athenian law” will not be able to pursue them. When Hermia accepts this, Lysander tells her to meet him at tomorrow night.

Helena enters the scene. She tells Hermia that even though she tried so much, she still cannot make Demetrius love her. Hermia replies to this by saying that even though she shows her hatred so much against him, he still loves her.

Helena tells Hermia how beautiful she is and she becomes jealous of her beauty. Hermia seems to understand this, as she instantly says that she and Lysander will escape from Athens at tomorrow night.

Helena stays alone in the scene. She starts to talk to herself and says that if she tells Demetrius where Hermia is, she can get the thank and love of him. Then she exits the scene, thus finishing it.