Forests in Shakespeare

In honor of Earth Week, we're taking a look at three forests in Shakespeare's plays: the forest from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Birnam Wood from Macbeth, and the Forest of Arden from As You Like It.

The Forest from A Midsummer Night's Dream

Though this forest has no name, it is sometimes called "the green world" because it is, quite literally, a world unto itself. In the forest, anything can happen: love at first sight, mistakes by mischievous sprites, and even transformations of human heads into donkey heads. The forest acts as a place of refuge from structured society. For better or for worse (or maybe for our entertainment), chaos rules in the forest: a fairy queen falls for a donkey-headed Mechanical, and a servant holds most of the power.

Birnam Wood from Macbeth

Throughout Macbeth, nature holds some power over the human world. Though Macbeth's tyranny disrupts nature, nature disrupts his tyranny in return. Of course, it is actually Macduff's and Malcolm's army who cut down the trees of Birnam Wood and make it "move". Thus, nature's power is limited: trees can move, but only with human aid. In the world of Macbeth, nature is part-human: "[s]tones have been known to move and trees to speak." (Macbeth, III.4.122) But is part-human in a menacing way: nature wages war and causes destruction, even death. However, unlike the human world, nature always knows right from wrong, and its violence serves the greater good. When "Birnam wood [comes] to high Dunsinane hill" (Macbeth, IV.1.93) to kill Macbeth, the forest has restored natural order by leaving the throne open for a good king. 

The Forest of Arden from As You Like It

Like the green world, the Forest of Arden offers refuge from rigid social hierarchies. Characters exiled or fleeing (Duke Senior, Rosalind, Celia, Orlando) in As You Like It all find safety in the forest because the forest is governed by the laws of nature, rather than the laws of man. The Forest of Arden is humanesque in a positive way: "And this our life, exempt from public haunt, / Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, / Sermons in stones, and good in everything." (As You Like It, II.1.15-17) The Forest of Arden is a joyous place, perfect for lovers and their weddings. Even being forced to live in the Forest of Arden is a pleasure: as Celia says, "I like this place, / And willingly could waste my time in it." (As You Like It, II.4.69-70)