Titania tells her fairy attendants to gather round and sing her to sleep. They engage in a lullaby that lures her into a fairy slumber. The fairies leave her alone as Oberon enters her lair, squeezing magic flower juice on her eyelids. He does this, according to his plan to teach her a lesson, and upon the magical exchange says, "When thou wakest, it is thy dear:/ Wake when some vile thing is near" Act 2, Scene 2, lines 33-34. He leaves her side, excited about the dirty trick he is playing on his queen.
Lysander and Hermia wander through the woods, lost but still in complete adoration of each other. They decide to rest for the evening. Lysander wants to sleep next to Hermia, sharing and expressing their love. Yet, Hermia, as a virgin and maid, will not allow such a deed to take place, so she sleeps several feet from him, praying for his love to never end. Lysander, slightly upset from his denial, still agrees with Hermia, claiming loyalty is the most important thing, and he will "end life when [he ends] loyalty!" Act 2, Scene 2, line 63
Puck enters the woods complaining that he has not yet found the Athenian man on whom he was ordered to place the magic juice. He sees the sleeping couple lying separately. He sees Lysander lying and believes that he is the man Oberon was talking about. He gently places the magic juice on Lysander's eyelids and tells him "when thou wakest, let love forbid" Act 2, Scene 2, line 80.
Helena runs into the woods after Demetrius. He puts her down, once again, begging her to leave him alone, and then abandons her. Again, Helena gives a soliloquy comparing her ugliness to Hermia's beauty in a jealous rage.
Helena notices the sleeping Lysander on the ground and wonders if he is dead, wounded, or asleep. She tries to wake him, and upon his awakening, he is love-struck (because of the magic flower juice). Helena is confused and angry because she thinks that she is being mocked when Lysander says "Not Hermia but Helena I love" Act 2, Scene 2, line 113. She bursts into a jealous and self-conscious rage, blames Lysander for his ungentleman-like conduct, and leaves. Lysander sees the sleeping Hermia and looks upon her with disgust and follows after Helena into the woods.
Hermia awakes from a horrible nightmare in which she thinks a serpent is eating her heart and Lysander "sat smiling at his cruel prey" Act 2, Scene 2, line 150. She calls for him and realizes he is not there. She overreacts to his absence and vows to find him in the woods or die trying.
