A Midsummer Nights Dream - 'The wood is a place of real peril; it is also the wood of error' Explore the perils and errors of the wood and relate them to 'the rational daylight world of Theseus's court.'

Melanie Parkes

‘The wood is a place of real peril; it is also the wood of error’ Explore the perils and errors of the wood and relate them to ‘the rational daylight world of Theseus’s court.’

In the wood the fairy world is in a state of disorder brought about by the King of the Fairies, Oberon, who allows his judgements to be swayed by his personal emotions, the same unreasonable emotional disorder that also sent the lovers into the woods initially. The play starts and ends in Theseus’s court showing a contrast between the order in his court and the abandonment of reason and restrained emotions shown in the wood. Although the leaders seem evident targets for the mishaps occurring at the beginning of the play, an Elizabethan audience would have been ready to blame the Wives of the leaders for any misfortune occurring due to their disobedience. A modern audience maybe more inclined to feel sympathy for the Wives and also take into account, the possibility that Shakespeare himself is sympathizing too. The characters’ breakdown of reason once they have entered the wood mimics a dream’s disorder and errors and thus makes the wood a place of their dreams, or nightmares; as is the case for Hermia when she awakens from a nightmare to find it is true her partner has left her. As the title suggests, dreams are an important theme in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’; they are linked to the bizarre, magical mishaps in the woods.

Hippolyta’s first words in the play are evidence of the prevalence of dreams:

“Four days will quickly steep themselves in night,

Four nights will quickly dream away the time”

This extract is one of many occasions when various characters in the play mention dreams, with Bottom demonstrating how he is unable to understand the magical happenings that have affected him due to a limitation of sleep. The theme of dreaming happens most often when characters attempt to explain strange events in which they are involved, as Bottom shows by stating ‘I have had a most rare vision, I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was’. Here, Bottom tries to explain what he thinks is a dream but the audience know to be reality. This illustrates the fine line between reality and dreams when emotions lead to the breakdown of reason and order.

The four lovers who have run into the wood, show that their emotions have already influenced their actions previous to them actually entering the wood. Lysander and Hermia decide to both run away from ducal and parental authority, Demetrius was betrothed to Helena but dares to break this promise; an action an Elizabethan audience would consider a criminal offence:

“I must confess that I’ve heard so much

And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof;”

In this quotation Theseus states that prior to even entering the wood Demetrius had already committed a crime by breaking a promise of marriage which would suggest that it is not purely the woods that force the characters to commit acts of deception and evilness. Indeed, Helena had betrayed her best friend when she tells Demetrius that Lysander and Hermia are running away, all of which occurs before the four of them have entered the woods. The extract also suggests Theseus to be a figure of governing and someone who is himself in order and perhaps able to maintain order for the Athenian lovers.

Theseus’s mythical name and ducal status already suggests that he is a hero in myth, and in life as he was successful against the Amazons. Theseus himself is presented as an ideal ruler, and so in consequence the court represents ideas of order. Theseus also speaks in blank verse when they are in the court showing his stately position in society. Nevertheless, the irrationality of the lovers in Theseus’s court could be an indirect result of faults in Theseus’s seemingly good leadership skills:

“Upon that day either prepare to die

For disobedience to your father’s will,

Or else to ...

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“Upon that day either prepare to die

For disobedience to your father’s will,

Or else to wed Demetrius…”

This decision to back up Egeus at the beginning of the play shows Theseus to be a pragmatic ruler, as does his decision to overbear Egeus at the end of the play. However, Theseus should have been concerned with the lovers earlier on, and he admits his negligence is due to “self-affairs”. On one hand, Theseus’s decision to back up Egeus is the most rational action he could have opted for, as he has abided by the law and has not given in to young emotion. On the contrary, the fact that this decision results in the downfall of the lovers own rationality shows a fault in his actions. At the end of the play, however, Theseus has a change of mind, stating ‘Egeus, I will overbear your will’. Theseus’s decision to overbear Egeus and his own law is, at first glance, an irrational action as not only is he now changing a law and showing himself to be inconsistent but he is also responding to emotion. This decision based on response to emotion, however, is the only kind in the play that results in harmony.

However, unlike Theseus’ decision, the wood does have a damaging effect upon the four lovers’ already disintegrating states of mind. Puck is careless with the love potion and the situation of the young Athenian lovers becomes increasingly chaotic and confusing with Demetrius and Lysander magically compelled to transfer their love from Hermia to Helena:

“Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none.

If ere I lov’d her, all that love is gone.”

In this extract Demetrius is describing how his once strong love for Hermia has been lost in the woods. This is a clear indication of how the woods have had a harmful effect on the characters, and the love potion thus becomes a symbol of the unreasoning in the wood which further leads to inexplicable and bizarre behaviour. The fact that Puck gets the love potion’s targets wrong is evidence that the wood is not only a place of peril but also of error.

Such a change in emotion once in the woods are mirrored by personality changes which are highly noticeable in the Athenian lovers whilst within the wood. Helena, who before believed she was as fair as Hermia, now perceives herself as unattractive:

“No, no; I am as ugly as a bear,

For beasts that meet me run away for fear”

Such a statement of lack of self-confidence in her appearance is in stark contrast to what she believed previous to entering the wood, proclaiming, “through Athens I am thought as fair as she” in reference to Hermia. This yet again highlights how the change in scenery has altered the personality of the characters, the absence of the just and civilised court leads Helena to believe that Lysander and Demetrius are only mocking her by saying they ‘dote’ her.

As well as emotional and mental changes that occur in the wood, physical perils are also present:

“I’ll run from thee and hide me in the brakes,

And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts”

Throughout the characters’ time in the woods we learn of the wild animals that are present. This is a symbol of how the woods are more corrupt and evil than their homeland of Athens, as wild beasts are an obvious peril not present in the court, clearly indicating the perils the wood possesses.

As well as changes in scenery to suggest peril, we also learn from Act II of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ the spiteful and malicious tone and nature Demetrius has taken. Before entering the woods Demetrius would never have spoken to Helena in a cruel manner and indeed he takes his newfound wickedness to a new level by threatening Helena with rape:

“Or if thou follow me do not believe

But I shall do thee mischief in the wood”

This is a clear sign as any that the wood is a place of peril not only because of the magical disorder it is causing in the minds of the lovers but also because there is no authority, law or order; aspects of strength in Theseus’s court, to protect Helena from Demetrius. Furthermore, Demetrius’s demonstration of viciousness occurs directly after we learn Oberon himself is planning on humiliating his wife, this suggests that Oberon’s actions may be influencing the Athenians who have entered his currently perilous world, the wood.

Oberon’s own mischievous nature may be a contributing factor to the state of disorder when the lovers enter the fairy world. Titania’s error at the beginning of the play is in defying her husband, which makes her vulnerable to disordered emotion. One of the main objectives of the spreading of love potions by Puck was Oberon’s intention of gaining revenge against his rebellious wife with whom he is arguing over an Indian child:

“O how I love thee! How I dote on thee!”

Here, Titania is expressing her newly discovered ‘love’ for Bottom, who has recently been transformed into an ass by Puck. On this occasion there is no error in the potion given out by Puck; Titania’s ‘doting’ of Bottom was intended unlike Demetrius’s desire for Helena. Such an event, albeit created by a potion, is a clear indication as to the perils the wood inflicts on the Athenian lovers.

Oberon’s decision to humiliate his wife is one of malice, in order to establish his power over his wife, and to subdue her rebellious attitude. Oberon abuses his power by altering Titania with the love potion; he has allowed his personal emotions to sway his judgements unlike Theseus. Theseus appears to think he has Hippolyta under control:

“Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with thy sword,

And won thy love doing thee injuries;

Contrary to Theseus’s ideal conquest over the Amazons, Hippolyta also shows rebelliousness towards Theseus when she shows sympathy for Hermia. This shows a similarity between the two worlds as neither leader has achieved complete control over their wives. Theseus does, however, state ‘…I will wed thee in another key’ this may show Theseus does actually realise mere physical conquest is not enough. Here, Shakespeare could be using Hippolyta to express his own sympathy for the wives, and perhaps to counteract the ruthless Elizabethan audience who would view the wives purely as wrong to be rebellious. However, in contrast to this Shakespeare uses the character of Oberon to punish and expose Titania to ridicule in the donkey scenes. Nevertheless it is clear that neither Oberon nor Theseus has been able to maintain total control in their respective worlds.

A certain level of harmony is however achieved in Act V where Oberon and the fairy world are drawn into the court in order to confirm and celebrate the harmony established by Theseus, and for a moment the mechanicals also become a part of the court. Theseus blesses the mechanicals humble performances:

“If we imagine no worse of them than they of them-

selves, they may pass for excellent men.”

Theseus argues the audience just need to use imagination when Hippolyta expresses her concern of the ridicule the mechanicals’ play may suffer. Moreover this discussion between Theseus and Hippolyta is used as Shakespeare’s mouthpiece to beg the audience to use imagination for his play. Theseus’s approval of the mechanicals’ play and subtle overruling of Hippolyta signifies a genuine happiness of people in a kingdom that is governed well. At this point in the play Oberon has gained control of Titania and after falling in love with an ass she is thankful for her husband’s protective authority and has given up the Indian boy. The Athenian lovers’ problems have also been sorted out and the picture of harmony is in complete contrast to the perils and errors of the wood they have all experienced. However, despite possessing harmony in Theseus’s Court, such serenity was first achieved in the woods which suggests that Theseus brings about an air of order and civil harmony, which balances the world of psychological forces Oberon himself, considered as the ruler of the night, imposes on the woods.

Throughout the time the lovers are in the woods it is during Oberon’s rule, night-time. This shows a contrast of night in the wood and day in Theseus’s court. Night symbolises dreams therefore must be linked with the wood when the characters experience dreams themselves. Theseus’s rational and orderly ways are even more apparent by the fact he is only ever present in the play when it is daytime:

“And since we have the vaward of the day,

My love shall hear the music of my hounds.”

This quotation may suggest that Theseus believes the rationality of daylight may also be the time harmony, symbolised by the sound of his dogs as being tranquil and peaceful, can be present. The fact that Theseus finds the lovers asleep in the wood during daytime may imply that Theseus himself has brought rationality and harmony from his court into the wood.

In a reciprocal gesture Oberon visits the palace at night to bless the beds with happiness and fortunate issue:

“…and you come

To give their bed joy and prosperity?”

Here, Titania explains how Oberon’s presence in the palace has helped to bring happiness and harmony to Theseus’s Court, the quotation suggests Oberon can control nature, which he proves correct when he alters various characters’ feelings using a love potion. Previous to Oberon’s visit, Theseus’s Court was in peril and indeed the strictness imposed by Theseus was the reason why the Athenian lovers fled to the woods, considered a place of emotions, in the first place. The decision and rules Theseus forces upon the Athenian lovers illustrates the weaknesses and faults he possesses as a leader, and it is only when Oberon visits the court that harmony prevails. This is yet again another indication of how it is only when the dreams, sex and emotions represented by Oberon, ruler of the night, and the law, order and politics represented by Theseus, ruler of the day, are combined that an air of content and harmony is allowed to exist.

So, immediately upon entering the woods the potions handed out by Puck start altering the personalities of the four characters who have entered it; Lysander, Demetrius, Helena and Hermia all of whom display weaknesses as a result of their emotions, something which has been magnified in the wood. Such transformations in the thinking of the characters leads to the two best friends, Helena and Hermia, having a spiteful argument when previously this would not have occurred. The perils of animals and even Demetrius’s own uncontrollable anger towards Helena also becomes inflated in the wood. Indeed, the character of Oberon’s own wife alters to such an extent that she starts pursuing Bottom, an ass, something she would not have done had it not been for the happenings in the woods. However, Puck makes many mistakes in terms of who is meant to receive the potions showing how the wood is not only a place of peril but also of error. The wood is not the only cause for emotional disorder as the lovers are already in peril whilst still in the court. Theseus and Oberon are shown to not be perfect leaders. They both display faults with decision making and controlling their wives, which brings perils both in the court and in the woods at the beginning of the play as opposed to the end when harmony is achieved in both worlds. Only after Theseus and Oberon had visited each other’s worlds and graced them with the leadership they represent did this harmony occur. At the end of the play the fact that Demetrius is left under the influence of the potion from the wood shows an overall combined effort of Oberon’s magic and Theseus’s law. In conclusion, the wood and Theseus’s court can in many way be seen in similar circumstances and beneficial to each other.