Student Question
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, why has Oberon's attitude toward Titania softened?
Quick answer:
Oberon's attitude toward Titania softens after he successfully tricks her into falling in love with a human, distracting her long enough to steal the young boy she was protecting. His initial conflict with Titania stemmed from his desire to train the boy as his henchman. Once Oberon achieves his goal by obtaining the boy, he releases Titania from the enchantment and reconciles with her, returning to a loving demeanor.
In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, there are three major plot lines, one of which surrounds Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the fairies. Throughout the play these two lovers are in a fight because Titania is rearing up a young boy who lost his mother. (His mother was also a favorite servant and friend of the queen's.) Oberon, though, wants to train the boy to be a henchman for himself and Titania doesn't want that. In response, Oberon plays a mean trick on Titania by drugging her and making her fall in love with a human, who has magically acquired a donkey's head for the night. Oberon only "softens" towards Titania, and releases her from the spell, after he steals the boy out from under her while she's distracted with the human. Hence, Oberon wins the fight by obtaining the boy, so in response, he goes back to Titania lovingly.
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