Court and Woods Keep Little Company: The Significance of Athens and Its Environs in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Meghan Edwards College

Two tablespoons of midsummer’s heat, one cup of magic, a dash of moonshine, and five cups of young love, are the makings of a perfect, steaming plate of chaos. This recipe for disaster is exactly what William Shakespeare depicts in his comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The play commences with an already problematic scene introducing the eerily familiar romantic dilemma of no one loving whom they are supposed to: Hermia is betrothed to Demetrius, but she loves Lysander who also loves her, but Demetrius also loves Hermia though Helena is in love with him. This mess is set in two main locations: the court of Athens - lawful and strong - and the mysteriously magical woods. Shakespeare juxtaposes the settings of the court and the woods and the character differences within them to also juxtapose order and love; order cannot exist where there is love, and pure love cannot exist where there is order. He furthermore claims that, when given the choice, order must take precedent over love.

Historically, Athens was one of the first civilizations to truly embody the concept of law and order. They had a democracy, a clear social structure, economic prosperity, and innovative intellectuals. The name Athens itself derives from the Greek...