Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream follows several groups of warring couples from both the natural human world and the world of fantastical creatures such as fairies and sprites. Interestingly, both the human couples and the non-human couples encounter strife within their romantic interaction and struggle to overcome jealousy and competition within their respective relationships. This essay analyzes Act II, Scene I of the play and delineates its numerous thematic functions within the play as a whole. Act II, Scene I represents the locus wherein a significant number of themes investigated over the course of the play originate; these include power, competition, jealousy and covetousness within the romantic context; romantic rejection and unrequited love; empathy; and most notably interference. Act II, Scene I remains a pivotal scene in the play since this scene marks the moment Oberon decides to interfere in the affairs of the human world and thus initiates the convergence and overlap between the natural human world and the world of fantasy. Act II, Scene I opens with Puck and the Fairy discussing the schism recently erupted between the power couple of Shakespeare’s fantasy world: Oberon, the king of the fairies and Titania, the queen of the fairies (Shakespeare II, I). Given that they serve warring masters – Puck sides with Oberon and the Fairy with Titania – the stage directions note that Puck and the Fairy enter “from opposite sides,” a physical example of the reality of the world we enter as audience members, a world ostensibly at war (Shakespeare II,I,1). Puck warns the Fairy to “take heed the queen come not within his sight; For Oberon is passing fell and wrath, Because that she as her attendant hath, A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king” (Shakespeare II,I,19-22). This first interlude establishes the particulars of the argument between Oberon and Titania, and clarifies for the audience that it remains unresolved, again in a physical manner, intimated by the fact that Fairy leaves as soon as she hears that Titania is one her way (Shakespeare II,I,1). She cannot afford to be seen talking to someone from Oberon’s side (Shakespeare II,I,1). Oberon and Titania arrive then, and again we see Shakespeare employ war imagery as he describes their entrance as “from one side, Oberon, with his train; from the other, Titania, with hers,” both parties squaring off like soldiers on the field of battle (Shakespeare II,I,59). The husband and wife exchange a frosty greeting that further elucidates the nature of the conflict between Oberon and Titania; Oberon desires the Indian boy for his own train; Titania refuses(Shakespeare II,I, 60). Oberon accuses Titania of obstinacy when he says, “I’ll met by moonlight, proud Titania” (II,I,60). Titania counters with “what, jealous Oberon,” orders her minions to depart, and shames Oberon publicly when she announces “I have forsworn his bed and company” (Shakespeare II,I,61-62). The couple’s squabble ends unsettled when Oberon makes Titania an offer, “give me that boy and I will go with thee” to which she curtly replies, “not for thy fairy kingdom” (Shakespeare II,I,143-144). This is the crux of the argument which launches the themes of power, jealousy, covetousness and competition explored through the various