Volume 2. Comedy. Duke Theseus of Athens is preparing for his wedding to the defeated Amazon queen Hippolyta. Just then, Egeus arrives at the court to accuse his daughter Hermia: she refuses to marry Demetrius, whom her father has chosen for her, because she loves Lysander. According to Athenian law, such disobedience to her father can be punished by death. Therefore, Hermia flees with Lysander into the nearby forest, pursued by Demetrius, who is in turn followed by Helena, who is in love with him. In the forest, there is a jealous dispute between the fairy king Oberon and his wife Titania. Their quarrel has even disrupted the order of nature. To punish Titania, Oberon has Puck, a mischievous fairy, bring him a magical flower. The juice of this flower, dripped into the eyes of a sleeping person, causes them to fall in love with the first creature they see upon waking.