You have no doubt heard or read that Shakespeare wrote plays to please his audience rather than satisfy the academic principles of dramatic composition. Dream is a good example. He throws in something for everyone. We begin with the happy plans for a wedding which is to take place in just four days. Weddings are always great fun with plenty to eat, often, though not always, plenty to drink, and lots of laughing-- sometimes at the groom's expense. But no sooner than the wedding announcement is made by Theseus and Hippolyta, than a spoil sport enters, the dour, tight lipped, unhappy Egeus, who wants Theseus to break up another happy pair of lovers. Egeus' daughter, Hermia is in love with Lysander, but Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius. Naturally, since her father wants her to marry Demetrius, Hermia refuses. I cannot say whether she fell in love with Lysander before she knew her father's wishes, but my guess is Lysander is a reaction to Egeus' command. Since father wants me to marry Demetrius, I must find someone else! (That is not a direct quote from the play, but an interpretation by me.) So in the very first scene, Theseus is caught between reason and desire, which pretty much sums up the play. Reason is the law which, as Duke of Athens, he must uphold. Desire is the lovely and desirable Hippolyta, who is clearly disappointed in Theseus' stern reading of Athenean law.

Before the scene is over we have the introduction of yet another character, the beautiful Helena, who complains to Hermia that she is in love with Demetrius. This is great by Hermia who wants to get rid of Demetrius so that her father may relent and let her marry Lysander. (Do the names get confusing? I believe that Shakespeare meant for them to be confusing and in fact nearly interchangeable.) We might also note at this point that there seems a definite relationship between love and rejection. Love only flourishes when one or both of the parties overcome something. Love must be won. Theseus has apparently overpowered Hippolyta. ...