Setting

Shakespeare uses setting (in particular two different settings) to create a dialogue about imagination, love, and dreams. Athens, the location in which the play begins and ends, represents law, order, and reality. In Athens, Hermia is persecuted for her love, and Helena laments her unrequited love for Demetrius. This initial setting represents the status quo, so in order for the journey of the protagonists to commence, they need to leave Athens for the magic of the wood.