From the world of Athens, ruled by the rational Theseus, the play transports us to the fairy-infested woods, dominated by the magical Oberon and Titania. Despite the differences in atmosphere of the various scenes, the theme remains the same: love in all of its variations. In the opening conversation between Puck and Titania's fairy, they discuss the fight between the rulers of the fairy world, providing another example of a love that is not going smoothly. Titania has foresworn the "bed and company" of Oberon (62), and their conversation focuses on the infidelities committed by each: Not only was Oberon once in love with the "bouncing Amazon," Hippolyta, but Titania was supposedly enamoured of Theseus. While the previous scenes presented couples newly embarked on the road of love, the conversation between Oberon and Titania shows the difficulties of a couple that has been together for a long time. Without their guiding love, the entire land has been ravaged by floods, rotting crops, and numerous rheumatic diseases. Notice how the fairy world is directly connected with the cycles of the moon: as "governess of the floods" (103), the moon, which is pale in anger because of Titania and Oberon's argument, has indirectly caused numerous human illnesses.
The scene not only reiterates the difficulties of male-female love but emphasizes the deep love that often exists between two friends. A primary source of the argument between Oberon and Titania is the Indian boy. While Oberon criticizes Titania for stealing the child from the Indian king, Titania's reasons for keeping the child are more personal. Titania was good friends with the boy's mother, one of her priestesses, with whom she would often sit gossiping. In beautifully lyrical language, Titania describes the pregnancy of her friend, which caused her to grow "big-bellied" as gracefully as the sails, filled by the wind of the trading ships that floated in and out of the Indian ports. When her friend died in childbirth, Titania chose to raise her friend's son. The beauty of Titania's language in describing her friend emphasizes the depth of their friendship.
