The document analyzes William Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". It begins with Hermia being forced by her father to marry Demetrius despite being in love with Lysander. Hermia and Lysander flee into the woods, followed by Demetrius and Helena who loves Demetrius. In the woods, flower juice causes Lysander and Demetrius to fall in love with Helena. It also puts Titania under a spell due to a fight with Oberon. Eventually, the spells wear off and the couples Lysander/Hermia and Demetrius/Helena marry at Theseus' wedding, with Oberon blessing the house. The analysis shows how love is

1. I N T R I N S I C E L E M E N T S
A N A LY S I S ;
T H E M E A N D P L O T
I N “ A M I D S U M M E R N I G H T ’ S
D R E A M ”
B Y W I L L I A M S H A K E S P E A R E
A D E L I A N ATA LY A N D A R U N I

2. Abstract
In this writing, the writer tries to analyze the intrinsic elements of “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream” by William Shakespeare The purpose of this writing is to understand the theme
and plot of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” drama. The writer uses theories of Freytag’s
Pyramid with close reading method. The writer finds that theme and plot can ease the
reader to understand a drama. In conclusion, the plot of this drama build upon the
Freytag’s Pyramid.
Keywords: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement

3. Introduction
Drama, as a performing art, is part of the world entertainment and it bring events to life
by presenting them on a stage. Drama on a stage sometimes seems like everyday life but
it presents beautifully. The Irish playwright Sean O’Casey on Christopher R. Reaske and
John R. Knott’s book entitled “MIRRORS An introduction to literature, third edition”
(1988:541) said that The first thing I try to do is to make a play live: live as a part of live,
and live in its own right as a work of drama.”

4. DISCUSSION

5. Theme
Theme is defined as a main idea of a literary work. The theme in a drama by Shakespeare entitled “A Midsummer
Night’s Dream” is love. There are a lot of love story and some problems about love in this drama. We can see in the
beginning of the story, a love between Theseus and Hippolyta.

6. ”THESEUS
…Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword
And won thy love doing thee injuries.
But I will wed thee in another key,
With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 16-19)
From that dialogue we can see that Theseus was so cruel that he make Hippolyta fell in love with him by
injuring her. But when he going to marry her, Theseus promise that he would make the wedding with
extravagant festivals and he would treat her differently and nicely.

7. Another love problem is when Hermia talks to Theseus that she would never marry a man that she doesn’t love.
”HERMIA
So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,
Ere I will my virgin patent up
Unto his lordship, whose unwishèd yoke
My soul consents not to give sovereignty.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 79-82)
Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius instead of Lysander. But Hermia doesn’t like her father’s plan. She
loves Lysander and doesn’t want to marry someone else. Lysander wants to marry Hermia too, but he know that
love would never be easy.
“LYSANDER
Ay me! For aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth.
But either it was different in blood—“ (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 132-135)

8. It is not just Hermia and Lysander who has a difficulty with love. Helena, she loves Demetrius for a long time
and she has a one-side-love. Demetrius doesn’t love Helena because he in love with Hermia. Even Helena
knows the fact that Demetrius never love her, she always in love with Demetrius.
“HELENA
And even for that do I love you the more.
I am your spaniel. And, Demetrius,
The more you beat me, I will fawn on you…” (Act 2, Scene 1, Line 186-188)
Helena is in very deep love with Demetrius. She will do everything to make Demetrius notice her. When they
are in the woods, Demetrius annoyed when Helena keep following him. He tell Helena to get away from him,
but Helena begging to following him, because she really in love with him and want to get close with him. In the
end, Demetrius will love Helena because the effect of the flower-juce. Demetrius will marry Helena, and
Lysander will marry Hermia at the same time when Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding.

9. Plot
Plot is a chain of every event and it will build up into a story. A plot start with the
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement.

10. Exposition
The story starts when Egeus comes to Theseus to complain about his daughter who doesn’t want to marry
Demetrius.
“EGEUS
Full of vexation come I with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia…
…As she is mine, I may dispose of her—
Which shall be either to this gentleman
Or to her death—according to our law
Immediately provided in that case.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 22-23, 42-45)
He want Hermia to marry Demetrius than Lysander, or if not she should die. Demetrius is in love with Hermia
because of her beauty, but Lysander is in love with Hermia too, but Egeus doesn’t really like Lysander. It make
the situation worse.

11. ”DEMETRIUS
Relent, sweet Hermia—And, Lysander, yield
Thy crazèd title to my certain right.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 91-92)
“LYSANDER
You have her father’s love, Demetrius.
Let me have Hermia’s. Do you marry him.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 93-94)
With a situation like that, Hermia know that her heart is just for Lysander. She love Lysander with all of her
heart, no one can replace Lysander. She just love Lysander and can’t live if she should marry someone else.
“HERMIA
O hell, to choose love by another’s eyes!” (Act 1, Scene1, Line 140)

12. Hermia feel sad because her father wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena is in love with Demetrius, but she
must accept the fact that Demetrius is in love with Hermia, and Egeus wants Demetrius to marry Hermia. Helena
envy with Hermia because she has everything, her eyes like stars, her beauty and she has Demetrius’ heart.
“HELENA
…Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest I’d give to be to you translated.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 191-192)
If Helena has everything in this world, she would give anything to Hermia, except Demetrius. Because she know,
her love to Demetrius is too deep.

13. Rising Action
Oberon wants to have a children but Titania doesn’t want to. They are fighting and Titania doesn’t like to get
closer to Oberon.
“OBERON
Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.” (Act 2, Scene 1, Line 46)
TITANIA
What, jealous Oberon?—Fairies, skip hence.
I have forsworn his bed and company.” (Act 2, Scene 1, Line 47-48)
Titania doesn’t want to sleep or talk to Oberon again. She feels really angry to Oberon. Their fight is getting
bigger, and Titania decides to stay in the wood until Theseus’ wedding day.

14. Lysander and Hermia escape into the woods. They tells Helena about their plan, because Helena is Hermia’s
friend. But Helena tells Demetrius. Demetrius and Helena go to the forest to find Lysander and Hermia.
“DEMETRIUS
I love thee not, therefore pursue me not.
Where is Lysander and fair Hermia?
The one I’ll stay, the other stayeth me.
Thou told’st me they were stol'n unto this wood.
And here am I, and wood within this wood,
Because I cannot meet my Hermia.
Hence, get thee gone,and follow me no more.”
(Act 1, Scene 1, Line 173-179)
Demetrius is going to crazy because he couldn’t find Hermia. And he is mad because Helena keep following
him. He wants Helena to go home and stay away from him.

15. Climax
Oberon still mad at Titania, so he rub Titania’s eyelids with flower juice to make her fall in love with the first
thing she see when she wake up.
“OBERON
(squeezing flower juice on TITANIA ’s eyelids)
What thou seest when thou dost wake,
Do it for thy true love take…” ( Act 2, Scene 2, Line 15-17)
Oberon wants to make Titania fall in love with the animal in the forest. Oberon see in the forest how Helena
suffering because of Demetrius. So he tell Robin to rub Demetrius’ eyelid with flower juice so he will fall in
with Helena.

16. “ROBIN
…(squeezes flower juice on LYSANDER’s eyelids)
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the power this charm doth owe.
When thou wakest, let love forbid
Sleep his seat on thy eyelid…” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 64-68)
Robin make a mistake by giving the flower juice to Lysander eyelids because he thinks that Lysander is Demetrius. When he wake up, he will fall in
love with Helena. Oberon tells him to go to the forest again to rub the flower juice to Demetrius eyelids.
“DEMETRIUS
(waking) O Helena, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!
To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy. Oh, how ripe in show
Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!...
(Act 3, Scene 2, Line 139-142)
The effect of the flower juice is same as Lysander. Demetrius will fall in love with Helena when he wake up.

17. Lysander and Demetrius are under the spell from the flower juice. They are both fall in love with Helena. Lysander and
Demetrius fight to have Helena’s heart.
“LYSANDER
…In Hermia’s love I yield you up my part.
And yours of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love and will do till my death.” (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 167-169)
……..
“DEMETRIUS
Lysander, keep thy Hermia. I will none.
If e'er I loved her, all that love is gone.
My heart to her but as guest-wise sojourned,
And now to Helen is it home returned,
There to remain.” (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 171-175)

18. They are fighting to have Helena’s heart. They forget about their love to Hermia. In the other side, Hermia and Helena fight too.
“HERMIA
I am amazèd at your passionate words.
I scorn you not. It seems that you scorn me.”
(Act 3, Scene 2, Line 223-224)
“HELENA
Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,
To follow me and praise my eyes and face?
And made your other love, Demetrius—
Who even but now did spurn me with his foot—
To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare,
Precious, celestial?...” (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 225-230)
Hermia and Helena fight because Helena thinks that Hermia is insulting her and behind all of this. She thinks Hermia ask Lysander and
Demetrius to praise her.

19. Falling Action
Robin realize about his mistake. So he puts the flower juice to Lysander’s eyelids again
“ROBIN
…(squeezes flower juice into LYSANDER ’s eyes)
When thou wakest,
Thou takest
True delight
In the sight
Of thy former lady’s eye…” (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 466-471)
That flower juice will make Lysander fall in love with the one she loved when he wake up. Oberon release
Titania from the flower juice spell.

20. “OBERON
…But first I will release the fairy queen.” (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 53)
Oberon puts the flower juice from the second flower into Titania’s eyes and release from the spell. Robin
doesn’t put the flower juice into Demetrius eyes, so he will fall in love with Helena forever.

21. Denouement
Theseus announce that Demetrius and Helena, and Lysander and Hermia, will married along with his
day.
“THESEUS
For in the temple by and by with us
These cou“OBERON
…But first I will release the fairy queen.” (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 53)
Oberon puts the flower juice from the second flower into Titania’s eyes and release from the spell. Robin
doesn’t put the flower juice into Demetrius eyes, so he will fall in love with Helena forever.ples shall eternally
knit… (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 167-168)
After face many difficulties, they all getting married. On the wedding day, Philostrate preparing a plays with
some music. After the play ends, Oberon blessing the house and the couples who married.

22. Summary
A drama entitled “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakerpeare tells us about love. It
begins when Hermia who deeply in love with Lysander, forced to marry Demetrius by his
father. Until them Hermia and Lysander run away into the forest. Helena who fall in love with
Demetrius since a long time, must face the fact that Demetrius is fall in love with Hermia.
Helena and Demetrius follow Hermia and Lysander into the forest. In the forest, Demetrius
and Lysander are fall in love with Helena because they are under the spell of the flower juice.
Titania under the spell of the flower juice too because Oberon mad at her. In the end,
everything runs beautifully because Lysander and Hermia, and Demetrius and Helena are
getting married at the same time with Theseus’ wedding day. Titania is release from the spell
of the flower juice and Oberon and she come to the wedding.
This drama tells us that love is never easy. We can see how patient Helena waiting until
Demetrius loves her and the effort that Lysander and Hermia do when they know that Egeus
wants Hermia to marry Demetrius. There are so many effort to have a true love. Sometimes it
makes us sad but we should never give up, just like Hermia when she abandoned by
Lysander. Never give up and be patient to waiting our happy ending.