WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Read the extract below and answer the question:
Upon faint primrose-beds were women lie,
Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet,
There, my Lysander and myself shall meet,
And these from Athens turn away our eyes
To see new friends and stranger companies
Farewell, sweet playfellow;…
From the novel; A Midsummer Night's Dream
The couple are going to the wood because
- it is their favourite spot
-
they are running away from the Athenian law
- they want to have their peace
- the wood is romantic
The correct answer is: B
Explanation
Hermia and Lysander plan to escape to the woods because Athenian law, as enforced by Theseus and Egeus, dictates that Hermia must marry Demetrius or face either death or a life of celibacy. To avoid this fate, they decide to flee Athens and marry outside its jurisdiction. This decision sets off the chain of events in the play, leading to the magical confusion in the forest.