Theseus, King of Athens, is to marry Hippolyta, a previous enemy. Egeus one of his ministers, demands that Theseus enforce the law of death on Egeus daughter Hermia, who refuses to marry her father s choice, Demetrius. With her lover Lysander, Hermia flees Athens — hotly pursued by Demetrius and his previous girl friend, Helena.
As they lose themselves in the wood at night, they are observed by the fairies.

King Oberon and his henchman Puck, who attempt to sort out the lovers' problems by injecting a juice that persuades the awakening lovers to fall in love with the first body seen. Jealous Oberon is also using this technique on his queen, Titania, hoping in revenge that her temporary lover will be a monster!
In the meantime, a group of Athenian workmen come to the wood to secretly rehearse an amateur play in celebration of Theseus' and Hippolyta's coming wedding. Puck magically transforms Bottom, one of the group, into an ass with whom Titania falls in love when she awakes.

Oberon finally releases Titania from her drugged deception and Bottom, once more his human self, returns to Athens — as do the lovers, pardoned now by Theseus and allowed to find their rightful partners.

The amateur actors present their production of "Pyramus and Thisbe" to Theseus and his new bride. Night returns — bedtime, sleep, dreams — the Fairies come to the palace to bless the human lovers as they sleep. Or are the Fairies the dreams of the lovers? Who, indeed, in this subtle mixture of relationships, are the dreamers — and what are the dreams?