Notes: Act 3, Scene 2 of A Midsummer Night's Dream
Setting and Context
Location: The woods, near the place where the lovers and the tradesmen are scattered.
Characters Involved:
o Puck (Robin Goodfellow): Mischievous fairy.
o Oberon: King of the Fairies.
o Demetrius: Athenian nobleman, still loves Hermia.
o Hermia: Athenian woman, still loved by Lysander.
o Helena: Athenian woman, loved by Lysander and Demetrius after their
enchantment.
o Lysander: Athenian man, originally in love with Hermia.
o Titania: Queen of the Fairies (mentioned, but not in the scene).
Plot Summary
1. Puck's Report to Oberon:
o Puck gleefully tells Oberon about the chaos he’s caused:
Bottom: He transformed one of the tradesmen into a donkey-headed man,
and Titania instantly fell in love with him.
Athenian Youth: He used the magic flower nectar on the wrong man,
causing Demetrius to still pursue Hermia.
2. Oberon's Realization:
o Oberon sees that Demetrius is still in love with Hermia, and he quickly realizes
that Puck used the flower on the wrong Athenian man.
o Hermia runs off, and Demetrius falls asleep in the woods.
o Oberon instructs Puck to fetch Helena while he uses the flower on Demetrius.
3. Lysander's and Demetrius's New Love:
o Puck returns with Helena.
o Oberon secretly anoints Demetrius's eyes with the magic nectar.
o Lysander and Helena Enter: Lysander declares his love for Helena.
o Demetrius wakes: He immediately falls in love with Helena too.
o Helena: She believes the two men are mocking her.
o Hermia Enters: She is bewildered and angry, seeing both men in love with
Helena, leading to a confrontation.
o Fighting Over Helena: Lysander and Demetrius fight over Helena, while
Hermia becomes angry at Helena for "stealing" her lover.
4. Oberon’s Frustration:
o Oberon is upset with Puck for causing confusion. Puck defends himself, claiming
it was an honest mistake, but he enjoys the chaos.
o Oberon’s Plan:
He gives Puck a flower to use on Lysander to reverse the spell.
Oberon decides to ask Titania once more for the changeling boy and plans
to use the second flower on her.
5. The Lovers' Sleep:
o Dawn Approaches: Puck tells Oberon that they must work quickly.
o Puck Creates a Fog: He uses magic to confuse the Athenian men by imitating
their voices, leading them to exhaustion and sleep.
o Lovers Sleep: Lysander, Demetrius, Helena, and Hermia all end up asleep on the
ground near each other.
6. Reversal of the Enchantment:
o Puck applies the magic flower nectar to Lysander’s eyelids to reverse the spell
and restore the love between Lysander and Hermia.
Themes and Analysis
1. Dramatic Irony:
o The audience knows more than the characters, creating tension and suspense:
Lovers' Plan: The audience is aware that multiple characters are headed
to the woods, and they anticipate confusion and potential chaos.
Mistaken Identity: The audience knows that Oberon has not yet seen the
full picture, as they’ve already witnessed Puck’s mistake of applying the
magic nectar to the wrong Athenian man.
2. Meta-Theatricality and Role Reversal:
o Puck as an Actor: Puck plays the role of an actor in the lovers' play, imitating the
voices of Lysander and Demetrius to mislead them, which is a reversal of roles.
The fairy who normally causes trouble becomes part of the comedy in the lovers'
world.
3. Magic vs. Rationality:
o The confusion caused by magic continues to highlight the contrast between the
unpredictability of magic and the logical world of the human characters. Oberon’s
and Puck’s control over love is both whimsical and destructive.
4. Love as Irrational and Chaotic:
o The love potion continues to demonstrate that love is not logical. Lysander’s and
Demetrius’s sudden change of heart towards Helena (and later reversal)
emphasizes the fickleness and irrationality of love, much like the confusion
between Hermia and Helena.
5. Pun on "Ass":
o Bottom: The theme of transformation continues with Bottom’s donkey head (a
walking pun), symbolizing the absurdity of the situation. Puck enjoys the chaos of
watching the lovers fight over Helena while Bottom, transformed, becomes a
literal and figurative "ass."
Key Quotes
1. Puck's Mischief:
o "I have transformed one of the rude mechanicals into a donkey-headed man, and
Titania, waking, loved an ass."
2. Oberon’s Plan:
o "I’ll apply the nectar on Lysander to reverse the spell and restore the love."
3. Helena’s Confusion:
o "Am I not Hermia? And Lysander and Demetrius, who were once in love with
me, are now in love with her?"
4. Dramatic Irony:
o "The audience knows that Oberon is unaware of the second Athenian man and his
plan is bound to fail."
Humor Elements
Puck’s Delight: Puck relishes in the confusion and chaos he has created, delighting in the
"play" of the lovers.
Lovers' Confusion: The comic mishap of two men suddenly falling in love with Helena
while Hermia and Helena become enemies is a farcical mix-up, leading to physical and
verbal comedy.
Mistaken Identity and Role Reversal: The men’s confusion and Helena’s belief that
they mock her lead to comedic misunderstandings. Puck's impersonations add a layer of
slapstick humor.
This scene continues to explore themes of love, magic, and mistaken identity while heightening
the comedic chaos in the play. The reversal of enchantments and confusion among the lovers
creates dramatic irony, where the audience eagerly anticipates the resolution of the entangled
relationship
