The Forest In A Midsummer Night's Dream

The two main settings in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare are the Forest and Athens. The defining factor that differs the two settings is the amount of chaos that ensues in each realm. In Athens, “Theseus represents order, law, and logical reasoning” (Seker 3). These virtues are shared by the rest of Athens. Contrasting that, the Forest has no rules or boundaries and characters can act however they please. This absence of rules allows for the characters to make immoral decisions that they would not make while they were under watchful eyes in Athens. The Athenians and the Fairies in the play make more immoral choices while they are in the Forest, causing the Forest to be more immoral than Athens. The Athenians make immoral choices in the Forest because they are not restricted by the laws that are in place in Athens. When the characters first go to the Forest, Demetrius and Helena have a conversation while tracking down Hermia and
The fairies continuously meddle with the Athenians lives while they are in the Forest. The first example of the Fairies meddling in the Athenians lives is when Oberon, the fairy king, tells Robin Goodfellow to anoint Lysander’s eyes when “the next thing he espies may be the lady” (MND 2.2.269-271). This interference caused by Oberon and Robin creates the chaotic atmosphere that the Forest embodies. This chaos also contributes to the Athenians immoral actions. The character Robin Goodfellow meddles and tampers with the Athenians lives while they are in the Forest. Robin is the character that made Lysander and Demetrius turn on Hermia in favor of Helena. Robin “laid the love juice on some true-love’s sight” (MND 3.2.91) and caused Lysander to fall in love with Helena. The actions Robin takes during the play help to show how the chaotic atmosphere in the Forest contributes to the immoral decisions made by the