Reponse to Act 1 MSND

The first act of Shakespeare's play is crucial because it is where most of the main themes and ideas were brought up. The opening dialogue between Hippolyta and Theseus is interesting because despite the circumstances of their marriage, Theseus still courts Hippolyta as if it was a marriage born out of love. This joyous occasion is then contrasted with the sad news that Egeus brings of his daughter's disobedience. Shakespeare uses contrasts in the first act again when the scene is shifted to the play that Quince and his friends are putting on for Theseus' wedding. These two contrasts differ in the fact that one deals with mood and the other with social class. In the first, the issue of love rarely pertains to those of lower social standing because marriage is born out of neccessity. This can be seen in the widespread occurence of child marriage in third world countries today. Children are forced to marry so that they are able to become self sufficient taking the financial burden off of the parents. This makes the issue of love very class exclusive and the next scene of Act 1 makes it ironic. The different value set each group has not only different focuses but leads the two groups in Act 1 to the same place. It will be interesting to see Shakespeare's portrayal of class structure unfold as the play continues.