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maze
Cultural Context
Act 2,
Scene 1
Lines 98-100

An example of cultural context in Act 2, Scene 1 of myShakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Titania

The nine men's morris is filled up with mud,
And the quaint mazes in the wanton green
For lack of tread are undistinguishable.

Nine men's morris is a game similar to tic-tac-toe which was played on a grid pattern scratched onto a patch of ground in the village square. 

The type of maze with which we're familiar (tall hedges where you can get lost) did exist in Shakespeare’s day, but only on the grounds of royal palaces and wealthy estates. The maze Titania is referring to was a worn path in the village square that served as a course for foot races. 

The flood water has destroyed both of these entertainment areas.

(Men playing Nine Men's Morris, pictured in Libro de los juegos, 1283)