Want to know where A Midsummer Night’s Dream is set? Read on for full details of this play set in Athens, to understand exactly where each scene in the play is located.
Shakespeare set A Midsummer Night’s Dream in ancient Athens and the wood just outside it, which Shakespeare changes into a magic place with fairies. There is a fairy king and a fairy queen. The King exercises his magical power over the young lovers as they fall in and out of love at his bidding.
This wood near Athen is important as a setting because it is a magical, unrealistic place, not the real world of humans. The humans wander into it and become part of the fantasy and irrationality that is the faries’ world and the story and the themes are played out in that context.
The map below shows all the locations Shakespeare used for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You can zoom in on the map for a more detailed view of an area, and click the icons on the map for more information. Text in the more info box are the specific locations Shakespeare references in his A Midsummer Night’s Dream text:
Planning to follow in Shakespeare’s footsteps with a trip to Athens?
We’ve pulled together some of the very best travel resources about Athens from travel writers and bloggers to help you get the most out of your trip:
22 things to know before you head to Athens, courtesy of Roads and Kingdoms.
5 Lost Together share their guide to visiting Athens with kids.
What to do with 1 day in Athens, according to The Yogi Wanderer.
World by Isa give their ultimate 3 day Athens itinerary.
Want to know the best things to do in Athens? Check out Travel Boo’s suggestions.
Discover 20 offbeat destinations in Greece, curated by Orange Wayfarer.
Global Debauchery present their list of awesome things to do in mainland Greece.
5 Great tips to avoid the crowds at the Acropolis from Journication.
See the weekly Pom Pom parade – Athen’s very own changing of the guard ceremony, as described by Travel Crusade.
Om Travel share their Athens by a local article.
Discover the best neighborhoods in Athens, with pics, from Engineer On Tour.
Needs a place to stay? Bel Around The World list the 12 best hostels in Athens.
Look beyond the capital, with 14 of the best day trips from Athens, curated by Athens and Beyond.
Have more time? Discover the least touristy island in Greece, according to TripTrip Now.
Know of any other useful Athens resources? Let us know in the comments section below!
Ancient Athens
Thanks for your site!
I would love to see the maps and setting information for the plays, but it doesnt seem to be working because of a jQuery error.
A temporary technical issue – all resolved now :)