Humanity

The meaning of humanity and our existence is a crucial theme in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, particularly within its Renaissance context. Puck exclaims, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!”, and he’s exactly right. Humans are messy, fallible beings – we make mistakes, we think irrationally, and most importantly, we let our emotions get the better of us. Shakespeare believes that humans are characterised by their folly as indicated by his portrayal of the four lovers’ actions, particularly in their fight. The dramatic irony of the scene highlights how humans can become so distraught over things which aren’t really worth all the drama, proving that our humanity arises from the battle between our irrationality and rationality.