Titania and Bottom continue to be entertaining because of the discrepancy in their modes of thinking, a difference that could be ascribed not only to their species (fairy versus human), but also to their classes. When Titania offers Bottom the soothing music provided by her fairies, he prefers the more rustic entertainment of the “tongs and the bones.” When she offers him whatever food he desires, he chooses the simple fare of oats and hay. When he prosaically feels an “exposition” of sleep coming on, a malapropism for “disposition,” she poetically promises to “entwist” him, much as the female ivy “[e]nrings” the barky elm. While the contrast between these two lovers contributes to the comedy of the play, it also serves Shakespeare’s purpose of reminding us that love is blind and possibly deaf. Just like this mismatched couple, love often pairs seemingly inappropriate people.
Often played by the same actor, the two rulers in the play, Oberon and Theseus, both insist on getting their way, but they also have a benevolent side. Theseus, for example, offered Hermia the opportunity of living in a nunnery if she didn’t marry Demetrius, unlike her father, who offered her only death. Thus, Theseus insists she follow her father’s rules yet also offers a more lenient, more appropriate punishment. Similarly, Oberon shows his compassion for humanity by helping Helena when she is tormented by Demetrius. He also has goodwill for Titania, despite their fighting. Although Oberon initially enjoyed her inappropriate love for Bottom, he soon begins to pity Titania. Although he self-servingly releases her from the love spell only after he has won the Indian boy, Oberon seems genuinely pleased when he and Titania are reunited.
