cause of conflict in act three, helps to "right the wrongs" in act four's falling action, and finally provides us with our resolution at the end of the play.

Almost all of the young lovers (Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius) could be considered "heroes" as they thwart the established rule of the elders and overcome the treachery of the fairies.

If you wanted to get a bit creative, you could potentially say that there is no one protagonist in the play, and focus on some of the couples and how their relationships form the interecting narratives which give the play its plot.

Or, you could be even more bold and say that the lyrical language is the true protagonist-- it's the most interest part of the play, and what makes it worth watching! Many critics say that Midsummer has the least three-dimensional characters of any Shakespeare play, combined with the greatest emphasis on language.

Hmmmmm....tough one in this play.  Puck is most certainly the central character, but labeling him as the lone protagonist in this play could be difficult.  If I had to select just one character, though, I would also choose Puck.  He's the only character that directly has his hands in every plot line.  His role as the central character means that his actions are directly involved in the rising action, conflict, falling action and resolution of the play.  In his case, he manages to be involved in the action of the four lovers, Bottom and the actors, and the argument for the Indian boy.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a complex play, one that truly showcases Shakespeare's expertise as a playwright. There is not one but 4 separate plots intertwined in the play.

Theseus and Hippolyta are engaged to be married, and since Theseus is the Duke of Athens he acts as civil arbitrator. He makes a ruling on the case regarding Egeus' defiant daughter, who wishes to marry a man who is not the one her father has chosen for her. Meanwhile in the fairy kingdom in the woods, King Oberon and his Queen Titania are fighting over a child Titania refuses to hand over. Add in some bumbling actors trying to produce a play for the Duke's entertainment, and some fairy magic, and the reader must realize why teachers insist on students taking notes!

Several characters have heroic qualities: Lysander for his romantic efforts, Nick Bottom for his strange and magical journey, and Oberon for his winning ways. But perhaps Theseus comes closest to the general answer of what a hero is. He wins over the woman he loves (for it is clear she does not love him at the play's beginning), he uses wisdom and clarity to rule over the case of Egeus' claim over his daughter, he is generous to the well-meaning drama troupe who entertains the wedding guests, and he is blessed by the fairy king and queen (with whom he apparently had an affair prior to his engagement to Hippolyta). He's probably what one would consider "heroic."