Some New Dimensions of Awareness : A Consideration of Retreat and Reconciliation in Some of Shakespeare's Comedies

Abstract

In a number of Shakespeare's comedies we discover a sort of "other" world--e.g, a forest, island, hills--into which the characters retreat for a period of time, and later emerge with the insight necessary for reconciliation and the regeneration of their society. These other worlds appear as microcosms or reflections of the larger society. The best examples of these other worlds are the wood near Athens in Midsummer Night's Dream, the Forest of Arden in As You Like it, and the island of The Tempest.