Theplayfeaturesthreeinterconnectingplots,connectedbyacelebrationoftheweddingofTheseusofAthensandtheAmazonqueen,Hippolyta.

　　剧情共有三个主轴,刚好都跟庆祝忒修斯公爵和希波吕忒女王的婚礼有关.

　　Inthebeginning,hermia'sfatherforcedhermiatomarrydemetrius,atthattimetheGreekrulesthatfamilymaydecidetoherdaughter'smarriage,anddaughtermustabide,otherwiseshewillbeputtodeathorexile.Hermiaisnotwillingto,meetintheforestatnightwithlysanderandranaway.HermiatoldherplantoherbestfriendHelena;Helenaonlyrecentlybeenrefusedbydemetrius,inordertogetthefavorofdemetrius,Helenatoldtheplantodemetrius.Intheevening,demetriustrackedHelena,andHelenatrackedhermia,andhermiaareeagertofindlysanderatthesametime,allofthemgotlostintheforestandseparated,thentheygottiredandtookanaptorestunderthetree.

　　一开始,赫米娅的父亲强迫要赫米娅嫁给狄米特律斯,当时的希腊规定家庭可以决定女儿的婚姻,而女儿必须遵守,否则就要被处死或放逐.赫米娅不肯,与拉山德相约晚上在森林见面并私奔.赫米娅将她的计划告诉她最好的朋友海丽娜；海丽娜不久前才被狄米特律斯拒绝,为了讨回狄米特律斯的欢心,因此海丽娜将这计划告诉狄米特律斯.到了晚上,狄米特律斯跟踪海丽娜,而海丽娜跟踪赫米娅,而赫米娅则急于寻找拉山德,四人在森林中迷路并分离,他们累了并在树下打盹休息.

　　Meanwhile,Oberon,kingofthefairies,andhisqueen,Titania,havecometotheforestoutsideAthens.andplanstoattenddukeTheseusandhippolytaqueen'swedding.TitaniarefusedtolendherIndianyoungelftoOberonashisservant,soOberondecidedtopunishtheTitania.Oberonorderedtheelftopickedherbtrinity,anddropedflowerjuiceonhereyelidssecretly,sothatwhentheTitaniawakeup,shewouldfallinlovewiththefirstpersonshesaw.ParkeralsofoundLysanderandhermiawhobothinasleep,heputpansyflowerjuiceontheireyelids,andhopetheycouldwokeupandfallinloveaswell.

　　同时,仙王奥布朗与仙后提泰妮亚到达了同一片森林,并计划参加忒修斯公爵和希波吕忒女王的婚礼.提泰妮亚拒绝把她的印度童仆精灵借给奥布朗当作他的仆人,所以奥布朗决定惩戒提泰妮亚.奥布朗要小精灵帕克去摘三色堇,并趁提泰妮亚睡觉时将三色堇花汁液滴在她的眼皮上,这样当提泰妮亚醒来时便会永远爱上她看到的第一个人.另外帕克也发现了睡觉中的拉山德等人,他将三色堇花汁液滴在他们的眼皮上,并希望他们醒来时能有情人终成眷属.

　　Meanwhile,QuinceandhisbandofsixlabourershavearrangedtoperformtheirplayaboutPyramusandThisbeforTheseus'weddingandventureintotheforest,nearTitania'sbower,fortheirrehearsal.BottomisspottedbyPuck,whotransformshisheadintothatofadonkey.WhenBottomreturnsforhisnextlines,theotherworkmenrunscreaminginterror,muchtoBottom'sconfusion,sincehehasn'tfeltathingduringthetransformation.Determinedtowaitforhisfriends,hebeginstosingtohimself.TitaniaisawakenedbyBottom'ssingingandimmediatelyfallsinlovewithhim.Shelavisheshimwithattentionandpresumablymakeslovetohim.Whilesheisinthisstateofdevotion,Oberontakesthechangeling.Havingachievedhisgoals,OberonreleasesTitania,ordersPucktoremovethedonkey'sheadfromBottom,andarrangeseverythingsothatHermia,Lysander,Demetrius,andHelenawillbelievethattheyhavebeendreamingwhentheyawaken.

　　在同时,织工波顿和他的劳工朋友们在同一片森林中排演悲剧《皮拉摩斯和西斯贝》,他们计划在忒修斯公爵和希波吕忒女王的婚礼上表演,并把它演成滑稽的喜剧.可怜的织工波顿在换装时,被小精灵帕克恶作剧变成驴头.不巧仙后提泰妮亚醒来见到的第一个人便是他,于是仙后疯狂的爱上了驴头人身的波顿.森林的另一边,拉山德和狄米特律斯醒来时见到的第一个人都是海丽娜,于是海丽娜变成两人追求的对象,赫米娅则同时被两人抛弃.拉山德和狄米特律斯为了海丽娜而决斗,两人在森林中迷路并在树下打盹休息.

　　Thefairiesthendisappear,andTheseusandHippolytaarriveonthescene,duringanearlymorninghunt.Theywaketheloversand,sinceDemetriusdoesnotloveHermiaanymore,TheseusoverrulesEgeus'sdemandsandarrangesagroupwedding.Theloversdecidetha