The Wood, Flowers And Moonlight Are Essential To t

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The wood, flowers and moonlight are essential to the development of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and are a cause of the chaos, confusion and madness experienced by the young lovers and the workmen before the nuptials of Theseus and Hippolyta. The wood is mentioned first by Lysander when he and Hermia plan to elope. The workmen also decide to practice the play Pyramus and Thisbe, which they would perform on Theseus’ wedding day, in the wood wanting to remain unseen. It is also a place where the magical and enchanting world of the fairies is brought to life. Here we meet the ever-mischievous character of Puck and the king and queen of the fairy world, Oberon and Titania. Fantasy becomes reality in the woods. All magical events take place here. Flowers are abundantly present in the realm of the fairy world. They show the fairies at their best character when they look after wild flowers and also show the size of the fairies. The “love-in-idleness”, known as the pansy, is believed to possess magical powers due to being hit by one of Cupid’s misfired arrows. The love potion which is used on Titania to fall in love with an ass-headed Bottom, is derived from this flower. Oberon orders Puck to use this potion on the young lovers that adorn Athenian garments. The image of a rose is also used when Theseus directly addresses Hermia about her sexual desires in a conventional and delicate manner by using the metaphor of two roses: “the rose distill’d” and that which “withering on the virgin thorn/Grows, lives and dies, in single blessedness.” The moon is the main light found in the woods and it provides time to the lovers lost in the woods. It tells us of the literal darkness in which the characters move in the woods. The moon is also present in the play Pyramus and Thisbe where the lovers meet by moonlight. The new moon is also used to give the date for Theseus’ marriage.
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