Lysander loves Hermia, and Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius; Demetrius used to love Helena but now loves Hermia. Egeus, Hermia's father, wants his daughter to marry Demetrius, and so he gets the Duke of Athens, to enforce his wishes upon his daughter Hermia. According to Athenian law, Hermia is given four days to choose between Demetrius, life in a nunnery, or a death sentence. An angry and defiant Hermia, escapes with Lysander into the forest.

Complications arise in the forest. Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of Fairies, are locked in a dispute over a boy whom Titania has adopted. Oberon instructs his servant Puck to bring him magic love drops, which Oberon will sprinkle in the Queen's eyes as she sleeps, whereupon Titania will fall in love with the first creature she sees upon awakening. Meanwhile, Helena and Demetrius have also fled into the woods after Lysander and Hermia. Oberon, overhearing Demetrius's denouncement of Helena, takes pity upon her and tells Puck to place the magic drops on the eyes of Demetrius as well, so that Demetrius may fall in love with Helena. Puck, however, makes the mistake of putting the drops in the eyes of Lysander instead. Helena stumbles over Lysander in the forest, and the spell is cast; Lysander now is in love with Helena and wants nothing to do with Hermia whom is grief stricken.

Also out in the forest, a group of simple actors are rehearsing for a production of "Pyramus and Thisbe," to be acted out for the Duke at his wedding. Oberon's Puck mischieviously casts a spell on Bottom to give him the head of a donkey. Bottom, as luck would have it, is the first thing Titania sees when she awakens from the love drops. Bottom then is lavishly kept by the Queen. Oberon enjoys the fun of it all, but soon becomes less amused when it is realized that Puck has foiled in his attempt to have Demetrius and Helena fall in love. Oberon takes it upon himself and anoints Demetrius with the love potion and makes sure of it that Helena is the first person he sees.

Finally, Oberon decides that the game must end some time so he puts the four lovers to sleep and gives Lysander the antidote for the love potion so that he will love Hermia again when they all wake up. Next, Oberon gives Titania the antidote, and the King and Queen reconcile. Theseus and Hippolyta then find Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius asleep in the forest. Finally all return to Athens believing the happenings only to be a dream.

Likewise, Bottom returns to his players, and they perform "Pyramus and Thisbe" at the wedding feast (which has since become a wedding of three couples). As everyone retires, fairies perform their blessings,Puck delivers the epilogue soliloquy and everyone lives happily ever after.