Firstly, we find out that Theseus and Hippolyta are to be married in four days time. Theseus is, in fact, quite impatient for the wedding day to arrive.
Next, Egeus arrives at Theseus' palace with his daughter and her suitors in tow. He wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, and she is absolutely refusing to obey.
He "begs the ancient right of Athens" to have Hermia put to death if she persists in rebelling against his wishes.
Theseus lays down the law. Hermia has three options:
- She can obey her father and marry Demetrius.
- She can disobey her father and be put to death.
- She can become a nun.
Obviously, none of these options are particulary appealing to Hermia. Theseus gives her until his wedding day to decide. Theseus leaves with Hippolyta, Demetrius and Egeus, leaving Hermia and Lysander alone to consider her fate.
After discussing how awful it can be to be in love, Lysander comes up with a rather remarkable plan. He has a widowed aunt who lives outside of Athens who thinks of him as her son. He proposed they run away to her home where they can marry and be together without the "yoke" of Athenian law. Hermia happily agrees.
Their bliss is rather short-lived when a gloomy Helena arrives on the scene. She sad and depressed because Demetrius no longer loves her, but loves Hermia instead. She compares her face, voice, and eyes to Hermia - she just can't be happy now that Demetrius no longer loves her. Hermia claims it's not her fault since she frowns at Demetrius and tells him to essentially get lost.
Lysander and Hermia share their plans with Helena and quickly leave in order to prepare for their departure tomorrow night.
Helena, left alone, continues on her gloomy thought train and thinks about how awful love can be and how awful it is that love is blind. She thinks that Demetrius never would've stopped loving her if he hadn't had some encouragement from Hermia. Thus, she decides to tell Demetrius of her plans to run away with Lys