A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 1

Characters (thus far)

Theseus, Duke of Athens
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus
Philostrate, Master of Revels to Theseus
Egeus, father of Hermia
Hermia, daughter of Egeus, in love with Lysander
Lysander, loved by Hermia
Demetrius, suitor to Hermia
Helena, in love with Demetrius

The "Rude Mechanicals"
(So named by Puck, Act III, Scene 3: "A crew of patches, rude mechanicals, / That work for bread upon Athenian stalls . . ."

• Peter Quince, the playwright and carpenter
  'Quince', var. of "quinch," or "To move, stir, make a slight noise; to start, flinch."; "builder, constructor," one who works with wood on a heavier level, i.e. making ships and houses; derived from "quoins," or wooden wedges used by carpenters to made buildings.

• Nick Bottom, the Weaver: Wants to play all of the parts.
  "One who weaves, in metaphorical senses of the vb.; one who contrives, constructs, etc. (something specified). ['Text': ppl. stem of Latin texere, "to weave."]
  
  
• Francis Flute the Bellows Mender: "Nay, faith, let me not play a woman. I have a beard coming" (I.ii, ll.39-40)
  Flute, (OED) "A shuttle used in tapestry-weaving"; Bellows: (OED): "1. An instrument or machine constructed to furnish a strong blast of air. In its simplest form, it consists essentially of a combination of bag and box, formed of an upper and lower board joined by flexible leather sides, enclosing a cavity capable of expansion and contraction, and furnished with a valve opening inwards, through which air enters and fills the expanded cavity, and with a tube or nozzle, through which the air is forced out in a stream when the machine is compressed. It has many modifications of form and structure according to its purpose; and the name is sometimes applied to the 'blower' of a blast-furnace. a. An instrument or machine of this kind used to blow a fire; it may be portable, as the common hand-bellows, or fixed, as a smith's bellows. ; Applied to that which blows up or fans the fire of passion, discord, etc."
  
  
• Robin Starveling, the Tailor (Thisbe's Mother)
  Starveling: (OED)"a starved person or animal, one who is emaciated for lack of nutriment; ill fed, hungry"
  In proverbial and allusive phrases; often implying disparagement and ridicule.
  
  
• Snug, the Joiner: "I am slow of study" (II.i., l.54); the lion
  joiner: (OED) "A craftsman whose occupation it is to construct things by joining pieces of wood; a worker in wood who does lighter and more ornamental work than that of a carpenter, as the construction of the furniture and fittings of a house, ship, etc."
  
  
• Tom Snout, the Tinker (Pyramus's father)
  tinker: (OED) "A craftsman who mends pots, kettles, and other metal household utensils.; fig. a bungling or unskilful attempt at mending something.; To work at something (immaterial) clumsily or imperfectly, esp. in the way of attempted repair or improvement; also more vaguely, to occupy oneself about something in a trifling or aimless way; to trifle, potter."