The Soul of Athens: Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' studies Shakespeare's portrayal of the founding of Athens through a close reading of one of the Bard's most memorable comedies. Coupling careful attention to detail with interpretive breadth, The Soul of Athens examines the nature of love, the natural doubleness of human thinking and the ambiguous relation of image and reality, as well as patriarchy and democracy, and heroic and moral virtue.