Print
Word
PDF
|
A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 2, Scene 1: "Night, A wood near Athens"
The action shifts to the woods where the magical fantasy of this play is born. Puck, a "shrewd and knavish sprite," Act 2, Scene 1, line 33 enters with another fairy discussing the current confrontation of their masters, Oberon, King of the Fairies and Titania, Queen of the Fairies. Oberon and Titania are quarreling over a young Indian boy whom Oberon wants, yet Titania has locked safe away in her Fairy Queen lair, crowned with flowers and waited on by fairies. The fairy recognizes Puck as Robin Goodfellow, and he responds with a mischievous affirmative answer, telling of his omnipresence of "[lurking] in a gossip's bowl" Act 2, Scene 1, line 47 and wandering the night looking for action, slipping in and out of small places.
Oberon and Titania enter the stage on opposite ends, still enraged with one another. Aside from their frustration with the Indian boy, they both discuss their jealousy of the royal Athenians. Titania teases Oberon that his once love, Hippolyta, is marrying the Duke, Theseus, to which Oberon rebuts with his claim that Titania loves Theseus, as well. Titania talks of jealousy and the origins of the seasons for the mortals. Oberon still wants the Indian boy. Titania recounts the story of the boy, very poetically illustrating her close friendship with his mother. Oberon asks her how long she plans to stay in the woods, to which she responds until Theseus's wedding day. The two bicker over the boy, once again, and Titania swears she will not give him up, "Not for thy fairy kingdom," Act 2, Scene 1, 144 and leaves Oberon alone with the scheming Puck.
Topic Tracking: Love's Foolishness 4
Topic Tracking: Magic 2
Topic Tracking: Jealousy 3
Oberon then tells Puck that he plans to teach Titania a lesson for keeping the boy. He will keep her in the woods as he conjures up mischief and says, "Thou shalt not from this grove/ Till I torment thee for this injury" Act 2, Scene 1, 146. He recalls a special flower that contains a magical juice, when placed on sleeping eyelids, will allow the person to wake up and fall in love with the first thing it sees, be it person or animal. Puck leaves to find the flower, while Oberon admits onstage alone in soliloquy that he will use the juice to "make [Titania] render up her page to me" Act 2, Scene 1, line 185.
Topic Tracking: Magic 3
Topic Tracking: Dreams/Sleeping 2
Oberon makes himself invisible as he hears voices enter the woods. Demetrius arrives, searching for Lysander and Hermia, who he was told would be there. Helena follows him, begging for attention and love, when all she gets in return is scorn and vindictive treatment. After being put down and abandoned by Demetrius in the woods, she proclaims, "We cannot fight for love, as men may do;/ We should be wooed and were not made to woo./ I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell,/ to die upon the hand I love so well" Act 2, Scene 1, lines 241-244. Unrelenting and persistent, Helena plans to continue wooing Demetrius from Hermia, despite her debasement. Oberon oversees this dialogue and tells Puck, upon return, to place the magic flower juice over the eyes of Demetrius, whom "[he] shalt know...by the Athenian garments he hath on" Act 2, Scene 1, lines 263-264 so that Helena will get her man.
