'The course of true love never did run smooth'

A Midsummer Night's Dream contains three stories connected by a celebration of the Duke's wedding.  It explores the world of humans and fairies through four lovers, the ensemble of actors and of course the mischievous fairies.  It is set simultaneously in the woodland and in the realm of Fairyland under the light of the moon, a destination promising enchantment.

This is one of the great comedy plays by William Shakespeare.  The story takes place in Midsummer and is a complex farce featuring Hermia & Lysander and Helena & Demetrius.  Their romantic intrigues are confused and complicated still further by entering the forest where Oberon, the King of the Fairies and his Queen, Titania, preside.  Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) is a major character who is full of mischief and tricks.  Other visitors to the enchanted forest include Bottom the weaver and his friends Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute the amateur dramatists who want to rehearse their terrible but hilarious version of the play Pyramus and Thisbe.

The story begins with a fued between the fairies.  Titania is besotted with a young Prince and King Oberon plans his humiliating revenge, conjuring a web of enchantment with the help of impish Puck.  The meddling plays out as a merry band of mortals wander into the fairies' domain and Oberon discovers more enchantment than he imagined.

'If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear'   Puck