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Gender Roles In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes place in an ancient Athenian society where men tend to hold much higher places than women in society. In this comedy, women are still owned by their fathers, prizes of battle, and are not allowed to make decisions for themselves. With that, however, it is said by Helena in act two, scene one that women are meant to be pursued by men, rather than be the ones pursuing. The idea that women should be passive and men should be active in pursuing relationships is a cultural construct that has evolved over time, and while this was the case in the 16th century, they are no longer universally true today. In many cultures and societies, gender roles and expectations have become more fluid and flexible, …show more content…

He conquers Hippolyta and takes her as his prize, and makes her his wife. ''Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword and won thy love, doing thee injuries; but I will wed thee in another key, with pomp, with triumph and with reveling” (I.i.16-19). This reflects on the patriarchal beliefs at the time and is a direct reflection on how men fight for love and how women are bystanders to these men fighting for them without their say. The women in these instances are making no choices on the man they want to be with; it is simply dependent on how they look. This is an issue seen in many societies today, as patriarchy is still pretty dominant, where men with power will in essence conquer any woman he wants. This relates to the notion of wooing, as it is still the man chasing the …show more content…

There is still a peacock effect, where women are the one’s attracting men, while men go out to find the women. The patriarchal surroundings that still exist are the reason why this is the case and is why it is still very prevalent among women for them to care about looks and is why rich and famous men tend to have more attractive spouses than them. This reflects to how men used to dominate women, as seen with Theseus and Hippolyta; the only way up in life and society as a woman was to marry up in class. This thankfully is much less frequent nowadays and hopefully be completely faded out as women become complete equals and no longer have to worry about attractiveness to move up in

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On the other hand, the character of Helena embodies the notion of unrequited love and self-sacrifice. Helena's relentless pursuit of Demetrius, despite his rejection, illustrates the limitations placed on women in pursuing their desired partners. Her willingness to endure humiliation and mistreatment raises questions about the extent of women's agency in matters of love and relationships. Despite "A Midsummer Night's Dream" being set in a different era, the themes of marriage and women's rights addressed in the play continue to resonate in contemporary society. While progress has been made towards gender equality and the recognition of women's rights, remnants of traditional expectations and societal pressures

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At that time in history, the status quo and social norm was simple. Patriarchy was the predominant force as men were regarded as superior to women, both in society as well as the relationship scene. Shakespeare attempted to change this perception through his multiple works of literature. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare uses the theme of gender roles to express the idea that the status quo and social norm in the Elizabethan era can be challenged through courtship, father-daughter relationships, and wedlock. The play commences with the courtship of multiple individuals.

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She is the only one that cares more about the essence of love. In fact, when the two Athenians boys love the same woman she says: “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind”(I.i.234). With that sentence, she is referring to the beauty of Hermia that impedes Demetrius from noticing the virtues of Helena; and finally, the last couple is Theseus and Hyppolyta. They appear at the beginning and at the end of the play, being imperceptible for the rest of the comedy. Both characters symbolize reliability and order, while in the most of the play exist indecision, inconsistency and darkness.

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Today, men and women have equal rights, but that does not mean life has always been simple for both genders. When Shakespeare writes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are roles, behaviors, and expectations for the dominant men and submissive women. This literature portrays the major changes in the lives of both sexes throughout the years, which shows the advances women gain with time. The gender issue of men being dominant and women being submissive used in the drama, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, shows the differences in the roles, behaviors, and expectations appropriate for each gender and is an example of an outdated stereotype.

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