As they discuss their marriage plans, Egeus enters with his daughter Hermia and two suitors, Demetrius and Lysander. Egeus is angry with Hermia because she refuses to marry Demetrius, the man he has chosen for her. Instead, she is in love with Lysander and wishes to marry him instead.

Theseus tells Hermia that she must obey her father's wishes or face punishment, which could include being sent to a convent or even death. Hermia and Lysander are devastated by this news and decide to elope that night and run away from Athens.

Meanwhile, a group of amateur actors, led by Peter Quince, are also preparing for a performance they hope to present at Theseus and Hippolyta's wedding. They plan to perform the tragic tale of Pyramus and Thisbe.

As the scene ends, Puck, a mischievous fairy, enters and converses with a fairy queen, Titania. They discuss the ongoing dispute between them over a young Indian boy, whom Titania has taken under her wing. Puck is sent on a mission to retrieve a magical flower that can be used to cast a spell on Titania and make her fall in love with the first creature she sees upon waking up.

As they rehearse, a man named Nick Bottom begins to annoy the other actors with his over-the-top acting and constant interruptions. Eventually, they decide to take a break and leave Bottom alone on stage. While he is there, the fairy Puck appears and decides to play a prank on him by transforming his head into that of a donkey.

The other actors return and are frightened by Bottom's new appearance, but eventually realize that it is just a trick. They continue rehearsing, unaware of the magical events that are about to unfold in the forest surrounding them.

Meanwhile, four young lovers are also in the woods. Hermia and Lysander have decided to run away together, but Helena, who is in love with Demetrius, tells him about their plan in the hopes of winning his affection. Demetrius goes after Hermia and Lysander, and Helena follows him.

Oberon sees the four lovers and decides to use the love potion on them as well. He tells his fairy servant, Puck, to put the potion on the eyes of the young man Demetrius, so that he will fall in love with Helena. However, Puck accidentally puts the potion on the eyes of Lysander instead.

When Lysander wakes up and sees Helena, he falls in love with her and forgets all about Hermia. Helena, confused and upset, thinks that Lysander and Demetrius are playing a cruel joke on her. The two men end up fighting over her, and Hermia is left alone and confused.

The scene ends with the four lovers asleep in the woods, and the fairy king and queen reconciling after their argument. Oberon takes the boy from Titania, and they both go to sleep as well.

Oberon plans to use the flower's juice to make Titania fall in love with the first creature she sees when she wakes up. He hopes this will distract her from a dispute they have been having over a changeling boy. Puck leaves to find the flower.

While Puck is away, Demetrius and Helena, two humans who have become lost in the forest, enter the scene. Demetrius is under a spell that makes him love Helena, but she thinks he is mocking her and tries to run away. Demetrius follows her, and Oberon, who has overheard their conversation, decides to use the love-in-idleness flower on them as well.

When Puck returns with the flower, Oberon tells him to use it on Demetrius. However, Puck accidentally puts the juice on the eyes of Lysander, who is also lost in the forest with his love Hermia. When Lysander wakes up and sees Helena, he falls madly in love with her and starts to chase her. Hermia wakes up and is devastated to see her lover chasing another woman.

Confusion and chaos ensue as the four mortals run around the forest, with Lysander and Demetrius both in love with Helena and Hermia feeling betrayed. Meanwhile, Oberon uses the confusion to take the changeling boy from Titania, and Puck tries to fix his mistake by putting the juice on Demetrius's eyes as well. Eventually, all the lovers fall asleep in the forest, and the fairies come out to play and sing.

As they rehearse, the mischievous fairy Puck, who serves the fairy king Oberon, overhears their conversation and decides to play a prank on them. He uses his magic to transform one of the craftsmen, Bottom, into a donkey. When the other craftsmen notice Bottom's transformation, they become frightened and run away, leaving Bottom alone in the woods.

Meanwhile, the fairy queen Titania, who has been given a love potion by Oberon, wakes up and sees Bottom in his donkey form. She falls in love with him and begins to dote on him, much to the confusion and amusement of Bottom.

The scene ends with Puck reporting back to Oberon about the success of his prank, and the fairy king's delight at the chaos he has caused among the mortals and fairies alike.

Oberon is furious with Titania for refusing to give him the changeling child she has been caring for. He accuses her of being unfaithful and neglectful of her duties. In response, Titania accuses Oberon of being jealous and petty, and reminds him of their past romantic relationships.

As the argument continues, Oberon decides to use a magical flower to make Titania fall in love with the first creature she sees upon waking up. He orders his mischievous servant, Puck, to find a young Athenian man named Demetrius and use the flower on him.

Meanwhile, a group of amateur actors, including a weaver named Bottom, are rehearsing a play in the woods. Puck decides to play a trick on them by transforming Bottom's head into that of a donkey. When Titania wakes up and sees Bottom, she immediately falls in love with him and lavishes him with attention and affection.

Despite his initial satisfaction with the trick, Oberon eventually regrets his actions and decides to undo the spell. He also resolves his issues with Titania and the two reconcile. Demetrius, who has been put under a separate love spell by Puck, also eventually falls in love with his intended target, Helena.

As he leaves, Demetrius and Helena enter the woods. Demetrius is still under the influence of the love potion and is now in love with Helena. She is confused and thinks he is mocking her, but he insists that he truly loves her. She is overjoyed and they exit together.

Puck, a mischievous fairy, enters and tells Oberon that he has used the love potion on the wrong person. Instead of Demetrius, he has made Lysander fall in love with Helena. Oberon is angry and orders Puck to fix the mistake.

Puck finds Lysander and Helena sleeping in the woods and uses the antidote to remove the love potion's effects from Lysander. When they wake up, Lysander is confused and no longer loves Helena. He realizes that he truly loves Hermia and the two of them exit together.

At the end of the scene, Oberon puts the love potion on Titania's eyes and exits, leaving her to fall in love with the first creature she sees when she wakes up.