A Midsummer Night's Dream
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play more of ideas than of characterization and plot. The play embraces the celebration of an essential fact of life, even if we demand rationality of our self in all things we are still significantly affected by aspects of existence that are not rational and beyond our control. Oberon and Titania are the king and queen of fairyland respectively. Oberon uses his magical capabilities to cast a love spell on Titania in order to win the Indian child from Titania. However, in a poignant refusal to give Oberon the child, Titania expresses many facets of the play overall. While it is impossible to state absolutely why Oberon so badly desires this boy, there are many possible interpretations from the text of Titania’s refusal. These interpretations are also significant to other aspects/themes of the play. For example, we might say Oberon’s attempt to win the child is one geared toward reinforcing his superiority over Titania. He is using his request to assert his authority. However, it is an authority Titania refuses to grant on his terms. He has failed to realize the impenetrable power of the bond formed between Titania and the boy’s dead mother, “His mother was a votaress of my order;/…And for her sake do I rear up the boy;/And for her sake I will not part with him” (II.i.123; 136-137). In other words, the boy’s mother had been a celibate and was more than likely raped by a warlord. Ober
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Would imitate, and sail upon the land/To fetch me trifles, and return again/As from a voyage rich with merchandise” (II.i. 125-134). This bond formed at a time when Titania was feeling more than a little vulnerable over her relationship with Oberon is not one she was likely to forget or dishonor any time soon.
We can see the refusal by Titania to represent the differences between mortals and immortals as well as between the genders as already noted. The fact that Oberon is immortal but may have paternal instincts and emotions reinforces the theme of the play that even those of us who pride ourselves on our rational abilities are affected by aspects of existence that are not rational and beyond our control. With Titania, we may interpret this refusal as her unwillingness to share her child with anyone. Perhaps her maternal instincts are much stronger than Oberon’s paternal ones, and since the play is a mirror of human nature and nature in general this would be in keeping between males and females. Further, it is of no small significance to this reader that Shakespeare has Titania say about the boy’s mother “her womb then rich with my young squire” (II.i. 131). True, the boy is now Titania’s young squire, but at the time he
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Approximate Word count = 1210
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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