Examining Theseus

A Midsummer Night's Dream is to me, the most interesting of Shakespeare's comedies.  The very first character we are introduced to is Theseus, who is the duke of Athens. Theseus is a hero from Greek mythology—he refers to the fact that he’s Hercules' cousin at one point—so his presence signals that the play takes place in a mythical Greek past. This is something that we have never seen before from Shakespeare.  The majority of his plays are set in "real" time periods, so again, if the first character we meet tells us we are in a mythical setting, we can expect to see a good amount of magic throughout the play.  At the beginning of the play, Theseus has recently returned from conquering the Amazons, a race of warrior women, and is about to marry the conquered Amazon queen, Hippolyta. Because of this impending wedding, the mood of the play is one of holiday festivity, characterized by a heightened sense of expectation and anticipation. Theseus himself projects confidence, authority, and benevolent power, and is probably the driving character throughout the play.