The Moon as a Symbol in a Middle Summer Night's Dream

The moon as a symbol in “ a midsummer night’s dream”

  In chinese culture, moon mainly symbolize perfect ,fullness and homesickness. On the other hand, as one of classic dramas represented Western culture, a midsummer night’s dream reveals many meanings of the moon variable. According to statistics, the word ‘moon’ is used 28 times in this play without counting compounds as ‘moonlight’ or ‘moon shine’. The moon symbolizes romantic, chastity, lust, dreaming and the lover`s erratic behavior.
  The whole background as the title are set at night, which refers to the moon undoubtedly. Only from the title, I can not help feeling the romantic and mysterious flavour. Related to moon with stories about fairies, kings, queens and lovers are happening in such atmosphere, it created a romantic environment as we enjoy the play. It`s also fascinating that many main scenes of the paly, like their dreaming, entangled chaos climax, lust and wonderful marriage can be tracd to the presence of the moon.
  At the beginning of the play in Act 1, Theseus looks forward to marry his fair bride-to-be, hippolyta,and blames the moon moves as slow as “this old moon wanes!” which makes he has to wait for four days. In this case, the moon symbolizes chastity because the moon is often ralated to Diana,the ancient virgin goddess. As they got married, he can really sleep with hippolyta and enjoy relationship as a couple. Moreover, when theseus warns Hermia about becoming a nun “to live a barren sister all your life, chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon” which are also refer to the virgin huntress.
  In addition, the moon also a symbol of marriage and lust. In Act 1, Hippolyta takes the moon “like a silver bow/New-bent in heaven,shall behold the night/Of our solemnities.” The happy love-birds present the moon should appear in their wedding night as their witness of grand wedding ceremony. The moon show up not only as the unite of Hippolyta and Theseus but also Hermia and...