Power and societal pressures cage the characters of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Theseus holds full power over the human characters but his views are constricted preventing both he and Egeus from accepting the sparkle of true love. The human lovers cannot find freedom in love until they enter a world of confusion, shadow and color – the world of the fairies. The humans in power carry all the societal rules and regulations on their shoulders, forcing their constricted lives on the people below them. Like soldiers they are covered in armor, both human and animal, to protect them from the absurdities of true love. The lovers are forced into this caged world of armor without choice, but as they move through the forest they are freed, ridding themselves of these barriers. Like the lovers, the mechanicals are under the power of Theseus, yet they are clowns of love and their distance from power makes their bodies soft and rugged. The Fairies dwell on the forest floor that the lovers move through. They are free, natural, soft, often hiding amongst decomposing plants; fungi, leaves, moss, flowers. Their spirits are lively, playful, and tricky making them vibrant in color. Love for them can be toyed with and controlled, but their intentions are good and helpful. 

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