A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy play by William Shakespeare, which is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors (mechanicals), who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. This work is one of Shakespeare's most popular pieces for the stage and it is widely performed across the world.
Rich with supernatural elements and creative imagination, the play gives lyrical expressions to themes like love, dream, and blessings of human nature -all in a lighter tone.
Unlike many of Shakespeare’s works, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not drawn upon any historical or previous literary work, making it one of his most original compositions.