“The course of true love never ran smoothly,” comments Lysander of the complications of love in a exchange with Hermia (Shakespeare II136). Although the play A Midsummer Night's Dream certainly deals with the difficulty of romance, it is not considered a true love story like Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare, as he unfolds the story, intentionally distances the audience from the emotions of the characters so that he can caricature the anguish and burdens endured by the lovers. Through his masterful use of figurative language, Shakespeare examines the theme of the capricious and irrational nature of love. At the beginning of the play, Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, his fiancée, discuss their upcoming marriage. With the introduction of Theseus and Hippolytus, Shakespeare sets the backdrop for the multifaceted romantic relationships that unfold in the play. In an effort to celebrate the occasion with "pompous, triumph, and rejoicing" (Shakespeare Ii20), Theseus asks Philostratus, master of revelry, to "arouse the Athenian youth to rejoicing" (Shakespeare Ii13) as well as to provide entertaining distractions . for him and Hippolyta until their marriage. These simple, innocent instructions for joy and entertainment set the stage for Shakespeare to intricately integrate young lovers, fairies, and peasants into the story. Presenting the main conflict, Egeus, an Athenian citizen seeking wise counsel from Theseus, arrives. Aegeus's complaint concerns his daughter, who refuses to marry Demetrius, the suitor he has chosen. Although Demetrius loves Hermia, she has given her heart to Lysander and therefore refuses to obey her father and Athenian law. Interestingly, Demetrius recently declared his love for Helena,......middle of a......ss love paper. The audience is left wondering if Demetrius will change his mind or if he has truly matured. Thomas Marc Parrott says of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: "It is his use of language, as in so much else in this play, that Shakespeare shows. himself the master” (Kehler 22). Through Shakespeare's intricate weaving of figurative language throughout the play, he draws the audience into an imaginative, melodramatic and enchanting parody exploring the complexities of love. As Parrott argues, Shakespeare's true expertise lies in his astute handling of the complexities and subtleties of the written and spoken word. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The Norton Shakespeare: based on the Oxford edition, 2nd ed. Ed. Greenblatt, Stephen et al. New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc, 2009. Print.