A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Four young Athenians run off into a moonlit wood to escape an arranged marriage, and their tangled affections become a plaything for the fairies who rule the forest. Oberon and Titania are locked in a jealous feud, the mischievous Puck spreads a love potion to the wrong eyes, and a band of tradesmen blunder in to rehearse a play, one of them waking to find himself crowned with a donkey’s head. By dawn the enchantments lift, mistaken passions sort themselves out, and three weddings crown the confusion. Written around 1595, Shakespeare’s most beloved comedy mixes broad farce, delicate verse, and a knowing wink at the illusions of theater and love alike. This free PDF and EPUB edition includes the full text of the play.