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Gender Roles In A Midsummer Night's Dream

575 Words3 Pages

Shakespeare`s A Midsummer Night`s Dream is mainly focused on gender discrimination that arises from family and romantic relationships. The play combines elements of Jewish pride, black pride, feminist pride, and perhaps to a lesser extent even gay/lesbian pride. The play shows examples of racism and sexism in the form of using “you big black giant” as an insult and women as very weak. The theme of love always raises many questions and there are many instances which reveal that love can be unfair, painful, and irrational and at the same time beautiful. Gender always plays an integral part in love. Here are some of the extract from the plays: THESEUS: Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword …show more content…

(Act 1 Scene 1)
In the play's opening scene, we discover that Theseus and Hippolyta are about to be married because Theseus conquered Hippolyta and her people (the Amazons). Although Hippolyta seems pretty pleased with the engagement, but she doesn’t have any choice other than marrying Theseus as if he has won her by winning the war.

EGEUS I beg the ancient privilege of Athens: As she is mine, I may dispose of her, which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her death, according to our law Immediately provided in that case. (Act 1 Scene 1)
Hermia (a young lady) is fighting with her father (Egeus) for the right to choose her own husband (Lysander). In fact Egeus want Duke Theseus to enforce the death penalty on Hermia if she doesn’t obey him. In Shakespeare`s days the father can chose a husband for their daughters and if they refuse to marry there is a law which allows fathers to kill their

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