A midsummer nights dream is a comedy written by william shakespeare c 1595 or 1596 the play is set in athens and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of theseus and hippolytaone subplot involves a conflict between four athenian lovers another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play which they are to perform before the wedding. Thought fit through all athens to play in our interlude before the duke and the duchess on his wedding day at night bottom first good peter quince say what the play treats on then read the names of the actors and so grow to a point quince marry our play is the most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of pyramus and thisby bottom. A midsummer nights dream summary four athenians run away to the forest only to have puck the fairy make both of the boys fall in love with the same girl the four run through the forest pursuing each other while puck helps his master play a trick on the fairy queen. A midsummer nights dream comedy in five acts by william shakespeare written about 1595 96 and published in 1600 in a quarto edition from the authors manuscript in which there are some minor inconsistenciesthe version published in the first folio of 1623 was taken from a second quarto edition with some reference to a promptbook one of the great or middle comedies a