"The course of true love never did run smooth," remarks Lysander, expressing one of A Midsummer Night's Dream's most important themes-the difficulty of love. Although most of the conflict in the play stems from the troubles of romance, and although the play involves a number of romantic elements, it is not truly a love story; it distances the audience from the emotions of the characters in order to poke fun at the torments and difficulties that those in love face. The tone of the play is so lighthearted that the audience never doubts that things will end happily, and it is therefore free to enjoy the comedy without being caught up in the tension of an uncertain outcome.
The theme of loves difficulty is often explored through the motif of love out of balance. This is evident when looking at the Nobility, and the imbalance of their love; 'I wooed thee with my sword and won thy love doing thee injuries' Thesues' use of language suggests that he owns Hippolyta. This attitude towards women would have been widely accepted by an Elizabethan audience, because at the time males were considered dominant. However to a modern audience, it is shocking how he speaks to her. Hippolyta is an Amazon Queen, a fierce warrior, yet this man has subdued her. This imbalance of power is also seen in Oberon and Titania's relationship. His jealousy of the Indian boy outweighs his love for her, and he humiliates her by enchanting her. When Puck says that Titania has fallen in love with an ass, Oberon replies 'this falls out better than I could devise'. He has so guilt about unbalancing nature by enchanting her, and his somewhat gleeful tone would make an audience sympathise with Titania. The fact that Oberon uses the word 'devise' really reinforces that he had planned to enchant her because of his petty jealousy.
Difficulty in relationships links in with the dream like qualities of love in 'AMND'.
