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Midsummer Night's Dream Gender Roles

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The question of gender roles is an important aspect throughout Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The main conflict of the play is the constant tension created by the question: who will marry whom? This question is complicated through manipulation by the supernatural. Through this complex presentation of marriage, the audience is challenged to contemplate the function of marriage as an institution and how it impacts those involved. Much of the conflict between genders derives from a portrayal of female characters as objects or possessions. The theme of marriage is established in the opening scene through a discussion between Theseus and his fiancée Hippolyta regarding their wedding. When describing how he “won” Hippolyta, he states,
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