The wood — the lovers' quarrel and Oberon's correction

Another part of the wood. Puck reports to Oberon with cheerful self-satisfaction: he has anointed an Athenian; Titania is in love with a man wearing a donkey's head. Oberon, pleased about Titania, becomes alarmed when Demetrius enters chasing Hermia, who is accusing him of murdering Lysander. The wrong man has been anointed. Oberon orders Puck to find Helena and bring her, and applies the love-juice to the sleeping Demetrius himself.

Puck returns leading Helena with Lysander on her heels — both men still in love with her. Demetrius wakes; he too is now in love with Helena. The three crowd in on her in extravagant praise. Helena, convinced she is being mocked, becomes furious. Hermia arrives looking for Lysander and finds him courting Helena. The four-way quarrel is the longest and most emotionally serious scene in the play. Helena, in tears, recalls their childhood: "we, Hermia, like two artificial gods, have with our needles created both one flower, both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion." The men prepare a duel. Hermia, the shortest of the four, attacks Helena; Helena hides behind Lysander.

Oberon takes charge. He orders Puck to lead each man through the wood in fog until they collapse from exhaustion, and then — once they are sleeping — remove the love-juice from Lysander only. Demetrius's enchantment is to remain. Puck obeys. Imitating each man's voice, he leads them in opposite directions until both sink to the ground and sleep. Helena and Hermia, separately, wander into the same clearing exhausted and also lie down. By moonlight Puck steals to Lysander and squeezes the antidote on his eyes — "Jack shall have Jill, naught shall go ill, the man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well." Four sleepers in a clearing, none aware of the others, while Puck slips off into the dawn.