A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Act I Commentary

Scene i: A Midsummer Night's Dream opens with two romantic conflicts. The first part of the scene features two famous characters from Greek mythology: Theseus, the hero who defeats the Minotaur in the labyrinth, and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Theseus, the "duke" or ruler of Athens, has just led his people to a defeat of the Amazons. In four days, Theseus will take Hippolyta as his wife as a spoil of the war, despite the fact that the Amazons, as devotees of the virgin goddess of the moon Diana, swear an oath of chastity. Even though this romantic/marital relationship...

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