A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act IV - Falling Action

Detailed commentary and analysis by Claire's Notes of Act IV of A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Act IV of A Midsummer Night’s Dream represents the Falling Action in Freytag's Pyramid, where the chaos in the forest begins to resolve. Oberon, feeling remorseful, lifts the enchantment from Titania, ending her comical infatuation with Bottom, who still has a donkey’s head. Puck restores Bottom to his normal form, and the fairies reconcile. Meanwhile, Puck reverses the love potion’s effects on Lysander, rekindling his love for Hermia, while Demetrius remains enchanted by Helena, aligning the couples correctly. Theseus and Hippolyta discover the sleeping lovers and, upon hearing their stories, approve their marriages. The actors joyfully prepare to perform their play, setting up the final act's festivities.

00:00 Intro:
00:05 Act III recap:
01:20 Act IV, scene i
09:22 Act IV, scene ii

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Please note that any literature analysis is highly subjective and may disagree with analysis by another person. All interpretations are valid if they can be justified by reference to the text. This interpretation is my own: it is not exhaustive and there are alternatives!

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