A Midsummer Night's Dream
Four young people escape Athens to a forest where the king and queen of the fairies are quarreling, while meanwhile, a troupe of amateur actors rehearses a play. When the fairy Puck uses a magic flower to make people fall in love, the whole thing becomes a little bit confused...
The film earned $25.0M at the global box office.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) exemplifies carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of William Dieterle's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 23 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Hermia
Lysander
Helena
Demetrius
Puck
Oberon
Titania
Bottom
Main Cast & Characters
Hermia
Played by Olivia de Havilland
A young Athenian woman in love with Lysander, defying her father's wishes to marry Demetrius.
Lysander
Played by Dick Powell
A young Athenian nobleman in love with Hermia, willing to elope with her to escape arranged marriage.
Helena
Played by Jean Muir
Hermia's friend, desperately in love with Demetrius despite his rejection of her.
Demetrius
Played by Ross Alexander
An Athenian nobleman who pursues Hermia despite Helena's devotion to him.
Puck
Played by Mickey Rooney
A mischievous fairy servant to Oberon, causing chaos with magic and mistaken identities.
Oberon
Played by Victor Jory
The King of the Fairies, seeking to manipulate affairs in the forest with fairy magic.
Titania
Played by Anita Louise
The Queen of the Fairies, enchanted to fall in love with Bottom as part of Oberon's scheme.
Bottom
Played by James Cagney
A weaver and amateur actor, transformed into a donkey and beloved by the enchanted Titania.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (2% through the runtime) establishes Athens under Duke Theseus' rule. Hermia is commanded by her father Egeus to marry Demetrius, though she loves Lysander. The rigid law of Athens threatens death if she disobeys.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Hermia and Lysander decide they must flee Athens to escape the harsh law. Helena, desperate for Demetrius' love, betrays their plan. All four lovers will enter the forest, setting chaos in motion.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 72 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat False defeat: Both men now love Helena, who believes she's being mocked. Hermia is abandoned and bewildered. The magic has created maximum chaos rather than resolution. The lovers turn on each other violently., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 106 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The lovers reach exhaustion and despair, collapsing separately in the forest. All relationships appear destroyed. The "death" is metaphorical—the death of their old certainties, friendships, and rational understanding of love., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 112 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. Return to Athens: Theseus overrules Egeus, blessing the now-proper pairings. Triple wedding celebration. The mechanicals perform Pyramus and Thisbe (a comic mirror of tragic love), and the fairies bless the mortal households., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
A Midsummer Night's Dream's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping A Midsummer Night's Dream against these established plot points, we can identify how William Dieterle utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish A Midsummer Night's Dream within the fantasy genre.
William Dieterle's Structural Approach
Among the 2 William Dieterle films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. A Midsummer Night's Dream exemplifies the director's characteristic narrative technique. For comparative analysis, explore the complete William Dieterle filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional fantasy films include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Conan the Barbarian and Batman Forever. For more William Dieterle analyses, see The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Athens under Duke Theseus' rule. Hermia is commanded by her father Egeus to marry Demetrius, though she loves Lysander. The rigid law of Athens threatens death if she disobeys.
Theme
Lysander states "The course of true love never did run smooth," establishing the theme that love transcends reason and societal constraints, requiring transformation through chaos.
Worldbuilding
Introduction of three intersecting worlds: the court (Theseus and Hippolyta preparing for marriage), the lovers (Hermia/Lysander/Demetrius/Helena in romantic entanglements), and the mechanicals (Bottom and company rehearsing their play).
Disruption
Hermia and Lysander decide they must flee Athens to escape the harsh law. Helena, desperate for Demetrius' love, betrays their plan. All four lovers will enter the forest, setting chaos in motion.
Resistance
The lovers prepare for their journey. The mechanicals plan to rehearse in the woods. Oberon and Titania's fairy world is revealed in conflict over the changeling boy, establishing the magical realm that will transform everyone.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The "fun and games" of magical chaos: Puck mistakenly enchants Lysander instead of Demetrius; Bottom is transformed with an ass's head; Titania falls in love with Bottom; the lovers spiral into confusion and conflict.
Midpoint
False defeat: Both men now love Helena, who believes she's being mocked. Hermia is abandoned and bewildered. The magic has created maximum chaos rather than resolution. The lovers turn on each other violently.
Opposition
The enchantment intensifies conflicts. The four lovers pursue each other through the forest in anger and confusion. Hermia and Helena's friendship shatters. The men prepare to duel. Order seems irretrievably lost.
Collapse
The lovers reach exhaustion and despair, collapsing separately in the forest. All relationships appear destroyed. The "death" is metaphorical—the death of their old certainties, friendships, and rational understanding of love.
Crisis
Oberon recognizes the chaos Puck has created and takes responsibility. He commands the correction of the enchantments. The lovers sleep, unknowing that transformation is coming.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Return to Athens: Theseus overrules Egeus, blessing the now-proper pairings. Triple wedding celebration. The mechanicals perform Pyramus and Thisbe (a comic mirror of tragic love), and the fairies bless the mortal households.