The boundaries between the real world, represented by the Athenians, and the supernatural world of Oberon and Titania are sometimes fluid, as evidenced by the many instances when a protagonist, such as Bottom, seems caught somewherebetween the two levels of existence. According to some critics, Shakespeare, while describing both reality and fantasy as relative, identifies poetry as the lasting, imperishable result of the perilous journey through the fantastic worlds of apparitions, dreams, and nightmares, Based on this understanding of the function of poetry in the drama, some critics contend that it is the playwright himself who directly imparts a sense of wonder and aburdity to his audience.