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All Site ContentMidsummer Night's DreamAct 3Scene 2
Back to the Play
“like a forester”
Cultural Context
Act 3,
Scene 2
Lines 390-394

An explanation of the term “forester” in Act 3, Scene 2 of myShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Oberon

I with the morning's love have oft made sport, 
And, like a forester, the groves may tread,
Even till the eastern gate, all fiery red
Opening on Neptune with fair blessèd beams
Turns into yellow gold his salt green streams.

Forest land owned by a nobleman was overseen by a forester who kept out poachers and supervised the cutting of trees for timber. Oberon loves walking through the wooded glades in the morning like a forester making his rounds. Oberon's use of the word “forester” also brings to mind other supernatural forest dwellers such as nymphs.