William Shakespeare utilized many critical approach techniques to help shape his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There are many critical approaches in the play, but readers might focus on one in particular, gender studies. Gender studies are a big part of the play that William Shakespeare wrote because at the time he was writing it was known that women were uptight by the way they talked. Parents often arrange their daughters marriages because it was all they knew at the time. Back then men had a hard time retaining dominance over female figures because they were shown as uptight. Feminism could also be a big part of the play because of the way females are treated back then.
In the play, women are portrayed as uptight because of what they say. For example, in act two scene two Helena
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In act two scene one Oberon says to Titania “I do beg a little changeling boy,” he is implying to Titania that he wants the little changeling boy to make into one of his knights. Titania will not budge because she does not want to give Oberon the little indian boy that she raised on her own (2.1 120). Another example where men struggle to gain dominance is act two scene one when Helena is following Demetrius through the woods, and Helena says “ I am your spaniel.” Demetrius is trying is best to get Helena away from him, but whatever he says to her she only falls more deeply in love (2.1 203). In act four scene one Theseus says to the four lovers, that were found asleep in the words, “fair lovers you are fortunately met.” Theseus basically tells them that they have their permission to get married. Hermia ended up getting her way because she now gets to marry Lysander instead of Demetrius (4.1 180). Even though men felt like they were the superior gender, women often felt like they could hold their own when talking to men. Which caused many quarrels between the two