Contrasting Settings in A Midsummer Nights Dream :: comparison compare contrast essays

Contrasting Settings in A Midsummer Nights Dream William Shakespeares play, A Midsummer Nights Dream offers awonderful personal line of credit in human mentality. Shakespeare provides insight into mansconflict with the rational versus the emotional characteristics of our behaviorthrough his settings. The rational, logical side is represented by Athens, withits flourishing government and society. The excited emotional side isrepresented by the fairy woods. Here things do not make sense, and mysticalmagic takes the place of human logic. Every neural impulse may be acted upon withouta forethought to there outcome. The city of Athens represents the epitome of civilized man. Ruled bythe legal philosophys of man and kept in acquire by societys own norms. The human struggle tosuppress its unrestrained and irrational tendencies, still being undertakentoday, discourages the civilized man from making rash and foolish actions.Thus each action should have a sound and logical purpose, based on the socialnorms. In the play, Egeus, the father of Hermia, has thoughtfully chosen whathe considers an acceptable pair off to wed his daughter. Egeus most likely basedhis decision on economic, political, and social factors in his choosing ofDemetrius. He is making a reasonable decision based on Hermias future in theirsociety. Unfortunately Hermia is smitten by Lysander and vice versa. Althoughher father may have made his decision with every good intension, keeping withthe conventional customs of his day, and even perhaps taking into considerationsuch things as attractiveness, he failed to foresee the desires of his daughter.The young Lysander, who like most young men, cares little for the rules ofsociety, is automatic to break tradition and flee Athens to obtain Hermia.Therefore they must leave the rational Athens to enjoy their irrational love. Theseus, the king of Athens, is the highest symbol of law and order inhis dry land. After winning a war with another kingdom, he ch ooses to marrytheir queen, Hippolyta. His decision may very well have been animate by love,but the political ramifications of their marriage is a more plausible rationale.In fact Theseus apparent love for Hippolyta seems almost as an added reward toan already beneficial partnership. Whether any attraction was there or notprobably would not have made a difference. As king, Theseus must place thekingdom before his own feelings. It simply comes with the position. In short Athens represents the desire to suppress feelings and impulsesand to make decisions based on logic. Thus it does not give the might of rawemotion the true respect it requires, for man is both emotional and rational.