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How To Die In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Nothing Is As Easy As It Seems In Shakespeare’s famous play, “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Egeus- Hermias’ father- was forcing her to marry a man by the name of Demetrius, even though she is madly in love with Lysander. Throughout this time, women did not have the choice to marry who they wanted to unless it was there father’s choice. Also it was stated that the Athenian law was the have the death penalty upon women who refuses to marry the person of their fathers choice. Hermia was determined not to marry Demetrius, so her father made her address the Duke of the Kingdom who had granted her three choices. They were- either to marry Demetrius, become a nun, or to be put to death. All of these of these choice …show more content…

Shakespeare wrote “Or else the law of Athenian yields you up (which by no means we may extenuate) to death, or to a vow of single life. Come, my Hippolyta.” (Shakespeare 1.1.120-124) One positive side of this choice is to not be forced to live with Demetrius, but since she would be in the nunnery, she would not be able to concentrate on her prayer with a broken heart: “Ere I will yield my virgin patent up Unto his lordship, whose unwishèd yoke My soul consents not to give sovereignty.” (Shakespeare 1.1.79-82) Hermia’s feelings would be over flowed with malevolence, by becoming a nun, but she would rather scarifies becoming a nun rather than being forced to love Demetrius. Or Theseus states “You can endure the livery of a nun, For aye to be in shady cloister mewed,To live a barren sister all your life.” (Shakespeare 1.1.70-73) Theseus tells Hermia that being a nun would not be the best choice for her in her situation, stating that she should just ‘Bite the Bullet’ and marry Demetrius. finally the last law was set into place. Hermias’ last choice was to be put to death. Shakespeare wrote, “Either to die the death or to abjure forever the society of men.” (Shakespeare 1.1.66-67) Hermias’ life is too early and precious to end so early. Also Theseus states “What say you, Hermia? Be advised, fair maid” (Shakespeare 1.1.46) Hermia is way to beautiful and young who was living in the

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