In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare masterfully creates a play with three very different points of view that can be interpreted, when they are woven together, in many ways ranging from seemingly obvious interpretations to much more subtle things. He ends the play with an apology that is just as elusive as the performance of the play. However, if we look past the obvious, we can begin to piece together a possible message that mortals, whatever power they hold on earth, are subject to unseen powers far greater than they are. believe or not. from A Midsummer Night's Dream has haunted many critics and given rise to numerous interpretations. Through Robin, he clearly gives a message to the audience, but its meaning is ambiguous. This appears to be a disclaimer of sorts, but the exact nature of the offense and the reasoning behind it are unclear: If we, the shadows, have offended, think of this, and all will be made right : that you only slept here, while these visions appeared; (Epilogue 1-4)If the shadows in the play offend the audience, one naturally wonders how and why. It is obvious that Shakespeare wanted to escape "the tongue of the serpent", which suggests that he expected a negative reaction from the audience or at least thought it was possible. Therefore, he suggests that those who are offended consider the play as simply a dream, which seems to explain the play's title. However, the audience has just witnessed the play in which the Athenian lovers explain the night's escapades as a dream, which sows confusion in the interpretation of Robin's final speech to the audience. Understanding the nature of the “offense” is a key part of understanding Robin’s final words; however, a...... middle of paper ......Akespeare's Comedies 1594-1603. New York: Longman, 1996. Print. Muir, Kenneth. “Folklore and Shakespeare.” Folklore 92.2 (1981): 231-240. Print.Paster, Gail Kerns and Skiles Howard. “Fairy belief”. A Midsummer Night's Dream: texts and contexts. Ed. Paster, Gail Kerns and Skiles Howard. Boston: Bedford, 1999. 307-310. Print.Phialas, The Romantic Comedies of Peter G. Shakespeare: The Development of Their Form and Meaning. Durham: University of North Carolina Press, 1966. Print.Staton, Walter F. "Ovidian Elements in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' » Huntington Library Quarterly 26.2 (1963): 165-178. Print.Sanderson, Stewart. “A Perspective of Fairyland.” Folklore 75.1 (1964): 1-18. Print.Shakespeare, William. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The Norton Shakespeare: based on the Oxford edition, 2nd ed. Ed. Greenblatt, Stephen et al. New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc, 2009. Print.