The final act begins with a short debate between Hippolyta and Theseus regarding the truth of dreams. Hippolyta begins the debate by commenting that the dreams of the four lovers are strange (curious or, perhaps, even marvelous).
But then Theseus immediately asserts his opinion such dreams cannot hold any truth. Rather, they are, in his opinion, just mere trifles or foolish notions. Theseus then explains his opinion with the following:
Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
More than cool reason ever comprehends. (4-6)
Theseus, following the Greek portrayal of him as a man of great wisdom, takes the side of reason in the debate. He compares the lover to a madman. Both the lover and the madman see things that do not exist. The madman may see a pink elephant in his bedroom, and the lover may see the goddess of beauty when he looks upon his plain-looking girlfriend. Both men, as Theseus explains, have lost their reason. What they see does not really exist. Theseus explains his position even further with a third comparison: