A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

Step in from the salty air and settle into one of Shakespeare’s most enchanting comedies. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, love tangles and untangles itself in a moonlit wood outside Athens, where mischief reigns and nothing is quite what it seems.

Two young couples chase each other through the trees, forming one love triangle and then another. Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies, wage a magical war of the heart. And poor Bottom the weaver finds himself transformed, thanks to that most delightful of hobgoblins, Robin Goodfellow. It’s romance, chaos, and comedy woven together like a spell.

This is the authoritative Folger Shakespeare Library edition, the trusted series beloved by students, teachers, and curious readers alike. Whether you’re returning to this play or meeting it for the first time, the thoughtful design makes the language feel wonderfully approachable.

Inside you’ll find:

• A freshly edited text based on the best early printed version
• Explanatory notes placed conveniently across from the text
• Scene-by-scene plot summaries
• A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases
• An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language
• An illuminating essay by scholar Catherine Belsey
• Rare images from the Folger’s remarkable collection
• An annotated guide to further reading

There’s something perfect about reading this one on a soft summer evening, with the ocean humming just beyond the footbridge. A little magic, a little laughter, and pages that have delighted readers for centuries.

Come linger a while. We think you’ll fall under its spell.

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