A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act II - Rising Action

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

Act II of A Midsummer Night's Dream marks the Rising Action in Freytag's Pyramid, where the plot escalates through magical interference and misunderstandings. Moving to a mystical forest, we see Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the Fairies, in conflict over a changeling boy. Seeking revenge, Oberon commands Puck to use a magical flower to manipulate Titania’s affections. Meanwhile, Puck mistakenly uses the potion on Lysander instead of Demetrius, causing him to fall in love with Helena. This mix-up creates confusion and intensifies the romantic entanglements among the four lovers, setting the stage for further chaos and highlighting the irrationality of love.

Intro: (0:00)
Act I recap: (0:05)
Act II, scene i: (1:25)
Act II, scene ii: (9:37)


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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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