Midsummer Nights Dream - Themes

There are many themes that are hidden in Midsummer Nights Dream. Here are just a few of them...

1.Order and Disharmony:
The order of Egeus' family is threatened when Hermia goes against her father's wishes to marry Demetrius. The problem is that it pushes the conventions of social class in Elizabethan era as it shows shows the disobedience from Hermia that would not have been acceptable in that era. It was common in Elizabethan era for girls to be set up in arranged marriages by their fathers as women were seen as property of men.
Theseus - act 1 scene 1 "To you your father should be as a god"
This line shows how men had higher status to women and that women were expected to know that they were seen as lesser humans. However having Hermia refuse her father, makes her father seem like the weaker figure even though he has the higher status and therefore it brings disharmony to the order of status in their family.

There is also a struggle with order in the fairy kingdom as both the King and Queen a arguing over a small Indian boy.
Puck - Act 2 Scene 1 
"A lovely boy stolen from an Indian king.
She never had so sweet a changeling.
And jealous Oberon would have the child" 
The text describes how the boy is a changeling which means that he is some kind of servant or follower to Titania (Queen of the Fairies). I think that this is very interesting as it means that 2 of the highest status characters in the play are arguing over a very low status which show how the order's have been reversed and this argument therefore causes a discord in the fairy kingdom as they are split to either the King or the Queen. It also suggests that their whole argument is a struggle for power as they both only want the boy to annoy the other one.

Therefore I believe that the main course for the disharmony in the play is due to the change in status through out the characters and that there is only real peace again when people are put back into their proper places.
In Elizabethan era status was very important as even in their theatres the higher and lower classes were separated. The lords and the ladies in the Globe theatre would have sat in the balcony looking down on the actors and they had seats to watch the performances. where as the lower status commoners (or known in the globe as groundings) would have been in the pit where they would have to stand for the entire 3 hours of performance. However now-a-days status is not as common as anyone is allowed to sit anywhere in the theatre as long as the pay for their place.

2. Feminism 
Another key theme is feminism which is shown in every female character is Midsummer Nights Dream. For example when we first see Helena and Demetrius in the forest, it is clear that she is almost trying to woo him.
Helena - Act 2 Scene 1 "You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant."
In this line Helena is almost trying to flirt with Demetrius in order to confuse and dis armour him. It is a very feminist move as instead of waiting for the man to make his move, Helena takes matters into her own hands and she defies all conventions on wooing. In Shakespeare's time it was only proper for the man to make the move so seeing these acts of feminism would have been quite scandalous to be seen as it could have put new thoughts into ladies heads. Where as now-a-days there are no rules to flirting and it is more common for both men and women to make a move no matter what sex they are.

Another act of feminism happens with Hippolyta when she is for most of the play silence but in the final scene she gains her voice and she even makes fun with Duke Theseus, her husband.
Theseus - Act 5 Scene 1 "The best in this kind are but shadows, and the worst are no worse if imagination amend them."
Hippolyta - Act 5 Scene 1 "It must be your imagination then, and not theirs."
In this line Hippolyta is actually joking with her husband by saying it is his imagination and not the play that is interesting. This is very striking as not many women would have spoken so forwardly with their husbands without being belittle afterwards. She is also the only woman who talks in act 5 after the wedding which shows how perhaps she defies convention as in the Elizabethan era women were seen as men's property in marriage and it would have been common for the women's husbands to speak for them. However now-a-days everybody is equal and all women in modern society are allowed their own voice among people.

3.Dreams and Reality
Another key theme is Dreams and Reality. not only is Dreams referenced in the title, but it is also used as an excuse for all of the things that happen within the play.
Puck - Act 5 Scene 1 
"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended—
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear."
In this final dialogue of the play, Puck states that if the audience believes that they have just dreamed the play in their sleep, then they shouldn't be too offended by what they have watched. It sort of suggests that dreams are not explainable and there is nothing that can be done to change them so we should just accept them for what they are. It also explains how none of what they have seen is real as they call the dreams visions which could be considered as false illusions.

The play also shows how dreams and reality can become mixed up by the mortals as they question whether the supernatural events that have happen are real or not.
Lysander - Act 4 Scene 1
"My lord, I shall reply amazèdly,
Half sleep, half waking. But as yet, I swear,
I cannot truly say how I came here."
In this line Lysander contradicts himself by saying is asleep and he is awake, so it shows how they are confused between the differences of dream and reality. also it shows how people just amused that the supernatural events must be explainable through something. And therefore it shows how deserving the mystic elements are due to magic and manipulation.

 I feel that this theme is one of the reasons that this play is considered as one of Shakespeare's comedies simply due to the fact that they cover up all of the distressing events through the idea that everything was just a dream. It sort of sugar-coats all of the play in a friendly and light setting. To a Shakespearean audience I think it would have been an interesting concept to watch as there was many things like diseases and science that people of that era wouldn't have been able to explain where as this play gives its audience an explanation. And i also feel that this play will work for our modern interpretation of the play as we doing children's theatre. I believe that having the dreams resolve the problems will make it easier for the children to understand and it would also add a bit of wonder to the performance.