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who places this play in the poet's second period, because the characters are delineated just in harmony with the nature of the subject, now we will hear Adolf Schöll, with whose view of this comedy in other points Ulrici much sympathizes, but who denies this kind of characterization expressly; he says:„I cannot allow at all that the characters of the im- portant persons in a Midsummer Night's dream(Theseus and Hippolyta, who stand rather above the action, Oberon and Titania, who actively and passively are much engaged in the action, and the Athenian youths and maidens, moved by the sufferings and adventures of love) are drawn with but, few light touches„in a kind of wavering chiaroscuro“. They are drawn with broad touches, in warm tints as individualities, in such a manner as, to the Athenian princely couple in their relation to the action, gives together with the suitable nobility, the wise mind of rulers, gay frankness, heart-gain- ing magnanimity; in such a manner as, in the king and dueen of the elves, gives to the quarrel in which they are opposed to each other distinctness and delicate percepti- bility; and regarding the character of the Athenian gentlemen and ladies, whom distressed love chases into flight and pursuit in the wood, where the elves bear sway, where charms cross and puzzle their purposes and passions and, afterwards re-establishing and transposing, reconcile them,— also their characters are so fineshed and so sharply distinguished in clear, individual traits, as it is adequate to their resolution, their conduct in the intrigue, and which is expressed during the confusion, caused by the charm, in each scene of the animated action with as true consequence as in real life; with regard to the lovers, only those moments excepted, when it is interrupted by the power of the charm. And how ingeniously is the romantic wonderful character of the fairy-queen individualized“. Dowden also is persuaded of this distinct stamp of Theseus's character; he explains it accor- ding to his theory of Shakespeare's predilection for the men of action:„The central figure of the play is that of Theseus. There is no figure in the early drama of Shakspere so mag- 6*