Midsummer Nights Dream begins in the palace of Theseus, Duke of Athens. Theseus a mythical Greek hero is about to marry Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, a mythical race of women-warriors. Hermias father, Egeus, comes before the Duke to ask that she be punished by law for disobeying him. Hermia wants to marry Lysander and Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius. The law he asks to be invoked provides that she die or enter a nunnery if she doesnt obey her father. We learn that Demetrius, hermias fathers choice, has abandoned Helena. Helena still loves her unfaithful Demetrius. Lysander and Hermia plan to elope. They tell Helena, who says shell tell Demetrius. All four lovers will go to the woods the next night: Hermia and Lysander to elope; Demetrius to prevent this, having been warned by Helena; and Helena herself to be with Demetrius. A situation that was all right before the play began is now off balance, with the two men loving Hermia, and Helena sad and lovelorn. In William Shakespeare's tragic comedy play written in 1595, A Midsummer Night's Dream, there are two characters, who play as the leaders of both the human and magical worlds. These characters are Theseus, the Duke of Athens, and Oberon, the King of the Fairies. Both of these characters have many similarities, and many differences. These similarities and differences are apparent in the way they have shaped their personalities, relationships, and their roles in society. Shakespeares Theseus is really a romantic rather than a classical character. As Duke of Athens he reminds us somewhat of Henry V, King of England. He appears to be Shakespeares earlier conception of his ideal king. Like King Henry he is a great warrior and a ruler possessed of much dignity and majesty. He bears some resemblance to the English king also in the fact that his youth had been rather wild (Act II, Sc. 1, 76-81). That was when he was still under the influence of the fairies, an inf...
