... critics, suggesting that they are actually benign, or even desirable. It is thought that Shakespeare wrote this play to be performed first at the country house of a young nobleman, as part of his wedding festivities. If this is true, A Midsummer Night's Eve presents an astonishingly complex ... rather unpleasant model of forced love. By the time Theseus reappears at the end of the play, however, he and Hippolyta seem genuinely and mutually happy together, and he presides over a magically resolved triple wedding in which everyone gains their heart's desire. The character of Theseus appear...

• Word Count: 10864
• Approx Pages: 43
• Grade Level: High School