Motif: Order and Control
While the main events of A Midsummer Night's Dream are categorized by chaos and disorder, the play is bookended by the presence of Theseus and his new wife, Hippolyta. As Theseus is the king of Athens, he comes to signify order and governance, which stands in stark contrast to what occurs in the middle of the play. In this way, the play ultimately restores order at its conclusion through the reappearance of Theseus and the marriages of Hermia and Lysander and Helena and Demetrius.
Symbol: Love Potion
The love potion crafted by Oberon symbolizes the irrationality and whimsical nature of love. Oberon's potion compels characters to fall in love with the first person they see, leading to a number of poorly-matched and absurd couplings, such as Titania and Bottom. This potion reflects Helena's earlier evaluation of love, in which she argues that love is fundamentally nonsensical, irrational, and blind.
Symbol: Fairies
A large portion of the plot is driven by the presence of the fairies, who use the human characters for their entertainment. These fairies symbolize outside forces beyond human control, and they are particularly significant as they are juxtaposed with the controlling and orderly presence of Theseus. Once the characters retreat to the surrounding woods around Athens, this order dissipates and the "mortals" are left at the mercy of the fairies, who represent the whims and surprises of associated with life and love in particular.
Motif: Dreams
Throughout the play, characters become convinced that what is happening to them is a dream rather than a reality. Indeed, the title of the play emphasizes how important the concept of dreaming is to its plot and major themes. But dreaming is also significant for the audience themselves, who are similarly lulled into a dreamscape through the performance of the play. In this way, Shakespeare playfully questions the efficacy of theater as a way of subverting reality, if only temporarily.
Symbol: The Woods
While the play is technically set in Athens, Greece, the majority of the action occurs in the woods surrounding the city. This natural landscape symbolizes retreat and unreality, as it becomes associated with the fairy world rather than the human realm characterized by governance and predictability. Thus, from the beginning of the play, Shakespeare dispels with logic and realistic plot points in order to craft a dream-like and surreal experience for the characters and audience alike.
