A comic drama interweaves several strands: two young lovers flee an imposed marriage and hide in a nearby wood where fairy politics and a mischievous sprite meddle in human affection, causing mistaken pairings and chaos; a troupe of amateur actors prepares a ludicrous tragedy and one performer is magically altered; by morning enchantments are corrected, the lovers are paired rightly, and the players stage their bungled entertainment at a ducal wedding. The piece examines the unpredictability of desire, the porous boundary between wakefulness and dream, and the theatrical shaping of identity.