A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream
Titania sleeping in the moonlight protected by her fairies, 19th century painting by John Simmons
Written by	William Shakespeare
Characters	Theseus Hippolyta Oberon Titania Hermia Lysander Helena Demetrius Nick Bottom Peter Quince Francis Flute Robin Starveling Tom Snout Snug Puck Egeus Philostrate
Date premiered	c. 1595–96
Place premiered	Probably The Theatre, London
Original language	Early Modern English
Genre	Shakespearean comedy English Renaissance theatre
Setting	Athens

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict among four Athenian lovers. Another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play which they are to perform before the wedding. Both groups find themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies who manipulate the humans and are engaged in their own domestic intrigue. A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's most popular and widely performed plays.^[1]