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Soliloquy
Act 2, scene 2
Explanation and Analysis:
The style of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is impacted by setting and class. Characters in Athens and in the court mostly speak in verse, with the exception the amateur actors, who are of the lower classes. In the forest, Oberon and Titania speak mostly in verse, too. As the rulers of the forest, their speech is especially complex and laden with imagery and metaphor. The use of verse in their conversations helps demonstrate the extent of their power and influence. For example, in Act 2, Scene 2, Oberon instructs Robin to use the love potion on a set of Athenian lovers—Demetrius and Helena—in order to create reciprocity in their relationship. He says:
A sweet Athenian lady is in love
With a disdainful youth. Anoint his eyes,
But do it when the next thing he espies
May be the lady. Thou shalt know the man
By the Athenian garments he hath on.
Related Themes:
