On CliffsNotes Films Now
sorted by:
- The Latest
- Trending
- Editor's Picks
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Oct 3rd 2011 11:39PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:39PM Theseus (the Duke of Athens) announces he will marry Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons in four days. He hears Egeus' complaint that his daughter Hermia refuses to marry his chosen suitor,... Read More »
-
Julius Caesar
Oct 3rd 2011 11:38PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:38PM The action begins in February 44 BC. Julius Caesar has just reentered Rome in triumph after a victory in Spain over the sons of his old enemy, Pompey the Great. A spontaneous celebration has... Read More »
-
Othello
Oct 3rd 2011 11:37PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:37PM Othello opens in the stately city of Venice, a worldwide hub for trade and commerce. The first characters introduced are Iago, an ensign denied promotion by Othello, and Roderigo, a jealous ex-suitor... Read More »
-
Macbeth
Oct 3rd 2011 11:36PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:36PM The play opens with Macbeth and Banquo, two of the Scottish King Duncan's generals returning from battle when they encounter three witches in the woods. The witches tell Macbeth of how he will... Read More »
-
Hamlet
Oct 3rd 2011 11:36PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:36PM Hamlet is the son of the late King Hamlet (of Denmark), who died two months before the start of the play. After King Hamlet's death, his brother, Claudius, becomes king, and marries King Hamlet's... Read More »
-
Romeo and Juliet
Oct 3rd 2011 11:36PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:36PM The play begins with a large fight between the Capulets and the Montagues, two prestigious families in Verona, Italy. These families have been fighting for quite some time, and the Prince declares... Read More »
-
A Midsummer Night's Dream Lecture #1: Classes
Oct 3rd 2011 11:33PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:33PM Director of the American Globe and Shakespearian expert, John Basil talks about the 'Classes' theme in a A Midsummer Night's Dream. ... Read More »
-
A Midsummer Night's Dream Lecture #2: Dreams
Oct 3rd 2011 11:32PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:32PM Director of the American Globe and Shakespearian expert, John Basil talks about the 'Dreams' theme in a A Midsummer Night's Dream. ... Read More »
-
A Midsummer Night's Dream Lecture #3: Transformation
Oct 3rd 2011 11:31PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:31PM Director of the American Globe and Shakespearian expert, John Basil talks about the 'Transformation' theme in a A Midsummer Night's Dream. ... Read More »
-
A Midsummer Night's Dream Essay
Oct 3rd 2011 11:30PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:30PM Imagining Love in A Midsummer Night's Dream As Lysander tells Hermia, the course of true love never did run smooth. Often swift, short, and brief, love is besieged by class differences, by age... Read More »
-
A Midsummer Night's Dream Character List
Oct 3rd 2011 11:30PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:30PM Peter Quince A carpenter and the director of the group of actors who perform "Pyramus and Thisbe," which he has written for the celebration following Theseus and Hippolyta's wedding. ... Read More »
-
Famous Quotes From A Midsummer Night's Dream
Oct 3rd 2011 11:30PM-
Oct 3rd 2011 11:30PM "The course of true love never did run smooth." (Act I, Scene I) ... Read More »
-
Taylor Swift and Zac Efron Perform Duet on 'Ellen' (Video)
Feb 21st 2012 5:54PM-
Feb 21st 2012 5:54PM Taylor Swift and Zac Efron appeared on 'The Ellen Degeneres Show' today, where they not only promoted their new animated film, 'Dr. Seuss' The Lorax,' but also performed a duet set to the sounds of... Read More »
-
Sparkle and Shine: Beauty Sample Etiquette
Feb 21st 2012 11:00AM-
Feb 21st 2012 11:00AM A really common question that I get is what's appropriate and what's not appropriate when it comes to asking for beauty samples if they haven't been offered to you yet. So I thought I'd do a little... Read More »
-
Shailene Woodley Talks About Fashion and the Future in Malibu Magazine
Feb 17th 2012 5:48PM-
Feb 17th 2012 5:48PM Since earning a Golden Globe nomination for her role in 'The Descendants,' Shailene Woodley has been thrust into the spotlight, and now she's opening up to Malibu magazine about everything from... Read More »
-
OMGHHKP: We're Guest Blogging for Cambio!
Feb 17th 2012 4:30PM-
Feb 17th 2012 4:30PM Hi everyone! We're thrilled to kick off our exciting new partnership with Cambio as celebrity contributors! Starting next Tuesday, we'll be sharing all of our favorite spring trends, makeup... Read More »
-
Selena Gomez Shows Off New 'J' Ring
Feb 15th 2012 6:25PM-
Feb 15th 2012 6:25PM Selena Gomez got some new bling for Valentine's Day, and she's showing off to the world. The singer, whose famous boyfriend is Justin Bieber, posted a pic of her new "J" ring for all her fans to see.... Read More »
-
Giveaway! Tell Us What Makes You Beautiful and Win A Signed T-Shirt From One Direction
Feb 15th 2012 5:00PM-
Feb 15th 2012 5:00PM If you're a fan of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, also known as British band One Direction, then you might know we were counting down the days to Valentine's... Read More »
-
New 'Snow White' Set Details: Kristen Stewart Calls Punching Chris Hemsworth A "Confidence-Building Experience"
Feb 13th 2012 1:00PM-
Feb 13th 2012 1:00PM When Kristen Stewart flew into Los Angeles from London last November, where she was filming Snow White and the Huntsman, to do a week's worth of press leading up to the release of The Twilight Saga:... Read More »
-
CLICKWORTHY: Katy Perry's 'Part of Me' Preview Plus Victoria Justice, Cody Simpson Exclusives
Feb 10th 2012 5:30PM-
Feb 10th 2012 5:30PM Katy Perry has released a snippet of her new song "Part of Me" which is one of three new songs featured on the extended edition of her latest album, "Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection." Click... Read More »
-
Vanessa Hudgens and Miley Cyrus Have the Same Tattoo
Feb 10th 2012 5:41PM-
Feb 10th 2012 5:41PM Vanessa Hudgens and Miley Cyrus have more in common than their Disney Channel past. Both stars have the same tattoo. ... Read More »
-
Katy Perry to Release 'Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection' in March
Feb 9th 2012 1:34PM-
Feb 9th 2012 1:34PM Fans of Katy Perry are in for a sweet treat next month when the pop star will release a special edition of 'Teenage Dream' on March 27. ... Read More »
-
CLICKWORTHY: Taylor Swift 'Hunger Games' Video Premiere, More Lana Del Rey Fallout
Feb 8th 2012 7:38PM-
Feb 8th 2012 7:38PM Taylor Swift's video with The Civil Wars for Safe & Sound from The Hunger Games will premiere on Monday along with an exclusive chat with Taylor ... Read More »
-
Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Direct New Movie Starring Scarlett Johansson
Feb 8th 2012 4:45PM-
Feb 8th 2012 4:45PM Joseph Gordon-Levitt is directing his first movie! The 30-year-old will star in the untitled comedy, which he also wrote, opposite Scarlett Johansson. ... Read More »
-
Get more help at
THEMES
Following the sponsor message, this area will be populated with characters, themes, and places as you click on them in the video.
Get more help at
CHARACTERS
Get more help at
LOCATIONS
Get more help at
QUIZ
More CliffsNotes Films
Overview
Theseus (the Duke of Athens) announces he will marry Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons in four days. He hears Egeus' complaint that his daughter Hermia refuses to marry his chosen suitor, Demetrius, since she's in love with Lysander, who Egeus dislikes. Theseus declares Hermia must marry Demetrius, or choose between death or joining a nunnery. Lysander instructs Hermia to flee to the forest with him, so that they can travel to his aunt's house to marry. Hermia's friend, Helena, learns of this and decides to inform Demetrius, whom she likes (and has slept with). Demetrius, though, loves Hermia. Helena hopes they will all meet in the forest. Meanwhile, Quince, Bottom, Flute, Starveling, Snug, and Snout organize a play to be performed at Theseus' wedding.In the forest, Oberon (the King of the Fairies) argues with Titania (the Fairy Queen) that he should have her orphan child as his page. Titania objects, asserting she is queen. The bicker that Oberon loves Hippolyta and Titania loves Theseus. To obtain the boy, Oberon orders the fairy Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow) to obtain a flower from Cupid that causes on to love the first person a person sees. Oberon plans to give it to Titania, so she'll love a vile thing and give him the child. Demetrius and Helena appear, Helena pursuing him, and he fleeing her. Puck arrives with the flower, and Oberon orders Puck to anoint Demetrius with it so he'll love Helena rather than Hermia.
Oberon then anoints Titania with the flower. In the forest, Lysander and Hermia lie down to rest. Puck, thinking Lysander is Demetrius, anoints him with the flower. Helena appears and awakes Lysander, who immediately falls in love with her.
In the forest, the troupe of players discuss the logistics of their play. Puck appears and transforms Bottom to have an ass' (donkey's) head. The actors flee, but Titania awakes and falls in love with Bottom and orders her fairy servants to attend to him. Puck observes that Demetrius chases Hermia, yet she accuses him of murdering Lysander, and realizes he gave the flower to the wrong man. Oberon tries to remedy this by anointing Lysander with the flower so he'll fall in love with Helena, and he does. However, now both men love Helena, while she believes both are false. Hermia arrives and Helena accuses her of conspiring with the men to tease her. Oberon, realizing Puck has caused these problems, orders him to make a thick fog to separate the four people and force them into a deep sleep, so the spell can wear off.
Oberon awakes Titania and transforms Bottom back to a human. Oberon and Titania then make up and love each other again. In the woods, Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus appear and awake the four. Demetrius and Lysander inform the men of their love for Helena and Hermia (respectively). The lords agree to let them marry. Separately, Bottom awakes and remembers the night's occurrences.
At dinner, they all hear Quince's ten word, tedious, brief, tragical play. In it, Thisby (played by Flute) and Pyramus (played by Bottom) whisper their love through a chink in a wall (played by Snout). They vow to meet at Ninny's tomb, but a lion (played by Snug) attacks Thisby. Pyramus arrives and finds her scarf, assumes she's dead, and kills himself Thisby arrives to find him dead, and kills herself. After the play, at midnight, all go to bed, then the fairies appear and frolic.
Want to learn more about A Midsummer Night's Dream? Click here for A Midsummer Night's Dream act summaries, study guides, quizzes and more on CliffsNotes.com
COMMENTS
Related
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Theseus (the Duke of Athens) announces he will marry Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons in four days. He hears Egeus' complaint that his daughter Hermia refuses to marry his chosen suitor, Demetrius, since she's in love with Lysander, who Egeus dislikes. ...
A Midsummer Night's Dream Lecture #1: Classes
Director of the American Globe and Shakespearian expert, John Basil talks about the 'Classes' theme in a A Midsummer Night's Dream. ...
A Midsummer Night's Dream Lecture #2: Dreams
Director of the American Globe and Shakespearian expert, John Basil talks about the 'Dreams' theme in a A Midsummer Night's Dream. ...
A Midsummer Night's Dream Lecture #3: Transformation
Director of the American Globe and Shakespearian expert, John Basil talks about the 'Transformation' theme in a A Midsummer Night's Dream. ...
A Midsummer Night's Dream Essay
Imagining Love in A Midsummer Night's Dream As Lysander tells Hermia, the course of true love never did run smooth. Often swift, short, and brief, love is besieged by class differences, by age differences, by war, by death, and by sickness. ...
Click the icons below to upload a new photo or video or choose an existing photo or video from your gallery.
Upload a Photo or Video
Or
Select a Photo or Video From Your Gallery
Upload a Photo or Video
Select a Photo or Video From Your Gallery
Submit a Photo/Video Comment
Step 2: Upload a Photo/Video
You can upload a photo or video from your computer by clicking the “select a file” below. Don’t forget to title your photo/video!
Submit a Photo Comment
Step 2: Select From Your Gallery
Click the arrows to the right and left to scroll through your gallery. Once you have located a photo click to select it, then click “Select This Photo” to proceed to step 3.
‹
›
Submit a Video Comment
Step 2: Select From Your Gallery
Click the arrows to the right and left to scroll through your gallery. Once you have located a video click to select it, then click “Select This Video” to proceed to step 3.
‹
›
Submit a Photo/Video Comment
Step 3: Include a Message
You can include text with your photo or video.
Include my comment on
Submit a Photo/Video Comment
Complete
Thanks!
We have received your photo/video and text comment. Please note that if you have uploaded a new photo or video it may not appear on Cambio for up to 24 hours. Our team must review and approve all videos and photos prior to posting. To see your comment click the close and refresh button below.
What's Hot Now!
-
NEWS
Emma Watson Feels Sorry for Kate Middleton Apr 13th 2011 11:25AM -
VIDEOS
"Mean Girls" Quiz for the Cast of "Mean Girls 2 Jan 21st 2011 1:44PM -
Is Miley Cyrus Having the Worst Month Ever? Sep 21st 2010 6:47PM -
NEWS
Selena Gomez Tweets Clips From Her 'A Year Without Rain' Video Sep 3rd 2010 2:12PM -
NEWS
Nick Honors Tweens and Teens Living with Cancer Jan 21st 2010 8:31AM -
VIDEOS
The Rock's Pec Pump of Love Feb 9th 2012 12:00PM -
NEWS
Selena Gomez Reveals Tracklist for 'When the Sun Goes Down' Jun 1st 2011 4:29PM -
NEWS
The Disney Channel Games Are Back! Mar 18th 2011 10:26AM -
NEWS
Kristen Stewart: 'Breaking Dawn' Was Originally Rated 'R' Because Of Edward And Bella Honeymoon Scene Oct 31st 2011 7:40PM -
NEWS
Justin Bieber to Release New Photographic Book This Fall Feb 21st 2012 6:50PM
Submit a Photo/Video Comment
Step 1: Select a Gallery