Hermia is a young Athenian noblewoman facing a severe ultimatum. Her father demands she marry Demetrius, but she plans to elope with Lysander to his wealthy aunt's house outside the city's jurisdiction. She holds strong convictions about love and refuses to yield to the patriarchal demands placed upon her. Her short stature occasionally makes her self-conscious during arguments.

Lysander is a young nobleman of Athens who views himself as a true romantic hero. He devises the plan to sneak out of the city at night to avoid the strict laws preventing his marriage to Hermia. He believes that true love always faces obstacles and approaches these challenges with impulsive confidence.

Helena is a young Athenian woman struggling with deep insecurity and jealousy. She obsesses over Demetrius, even though he abandoned their engagement to pursue her best friend Hermia. Hoping to win a small amount of gratitude, she decides to betray Hermia's escape plan to Demetrius so she can follow him into the woods.

Demetrius is an arrogant Athenian nobleman determined to wed Hermia with her father's blessing. He entirely ignores Hermia's refusal and threatens Lysander. He shows active cruelty toward his former fiancée Helena, telling her he wishes to never see her again while she follows him into the forest.

Bottom is an overconfident, working-class weaver in Athens. He joins a theater troupe planning to perform for the Duke's wedding, firmly believing he possesses immense dramatic talent. He enthusiastically volunteers to play a romantic lead, a crying woman, and a roaring lion all at once. He remains entirely oblivious to his own foolishness.

Puck is a coarse, mischievous spirit who serves as a jester to the fairy king. He enjoys creating chaos and openly laughs at the foolish behavior of humans. Tasked with applying a magical flower juice to specific individuals, he makes careless mistakes that plunge the forest into total confusion.

Oberon is the powerful and easily bored king of the fairies. He seeks to humiliate his wife Titania because she refuses to give him a young Indian boy for his retinue. He uses a magical flower to orchestrate elaborate pranks and manipulate the romantic feelings of both fairies and human wanderers.

Titania is the assertive queen of the fairies. She commands her own loyal retinue and flatly rejects her husband's demands, honoring a promise made to a deceased mortal woman. She sleeps on a flower-covered riverbank where she becomes the victim of a powerful love spell that overrides her usual regal nature.

Theseus is the Duke of Athens and an embodiment of strict civic order. He recently defeated the Amazons in battle and claimed their queen as his bride. He enforces the harsh laws of the city without emotion, telling Hermia she must obey her father, die, or join a convent.

Hippolyta is the Queen of the Amazons, brought to Athens after losing a war to Theseus. She brings an outsider's perspective to the strict Athenian court and questions the strange stories the young nobles tell about their night in the forest.

Egeus is an authoritarian father deeply concerned with maintaining control over his household. He views his daughter as his personal property and demands that the local government execute her rather than allow her to choose her own husband.

Peter Quince is a humble Athenian carpenter organizing a theatrical performance for the Duke's wedding. He writes the prologue and assigns the roles but struggles to manage the massive ego of his lead actor. He fears angering the nobility with a poor performance.

Philostrate is the master of the revels at the Athenian court. He manages the entertainment for Theseus's wedding and actively tries to prevent the laborers from performing, warning the Duke that their play is terrible.

Flute is a bellows-mender cast in the theater troupe. He is disappointed to be assigned the female lead role of Thisbe because he is currently trying to grow a beard.

Snug is a joiner and a member of the amateur acting troupe. He is assigned the role of the lion and worries deeply about memorizing his lines, though he is relieved to learn the part consists entirely of roaring.

Starveling is a tailor who joins the acting troupe. He is initially cast as Thisbe's mother but ultimately plays the physical representation of moonlight during the final performance.

Snout is a tinker who performs with the laborers. He worries heavily that the lion's roar will frighten the ladies in the audience, and he ends up playing a physical wall on stage.