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Patriarchy In A Midsummer Night's Dream

433 Words2 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, humour is used as a powerful tool to address gender roles and challenge patriarchal values. Shakespeare depicts strong female characters who defy the expectations of the patriarchal society they live in. Hermia, for instance, is an excellent example of a female lead challenging patriarchal values, particularly when she argues with her father about her choice of husband. Male domination is displayed in the relationships between characters like Oberon deceiving Titania and Egeus controlling Hermia. Shakespeare uses several literary devices to demonstrate the absurdity of patriarchal values through the actions and interactions of his female characters with male characters.

Shakespeare also uses comedic devices such as irony and satire to demonstrate the presence of …show more content…

This is seen in Act 1, Scene 1, lines 16 and 17, when Theseus says to Hippolyta, “Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword / And won thy love doing thee injuries”. Shakespeare chose to involve characters from a popular myth of his time. The myth is about Theseus, the Duke of Athens, trying to woo Hippolyta and marry her. However, Hippolyta doesn't want to leave her people behind as she is Queen of the Amazons. Theseus then wages war on Hippolyta’s Amazon tribe before defeating them and taking Hippolyta with him back to his palace in Athens. This is an example of irony because rather than the pair falling in love with each other, Theseus forced Hippolyta to marry him. Satire and oxymorons are comedic devices used in Act 1, Scene 2, lines 42 to 44. When Bottom says “And I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too. / I’ll speak

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Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia Quotes

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In Midsummer Night’s Dream by playwright, author and poet William Shakespeare Hermia is seen as a strong, passionate character who rejects all things from male authority figures if they participate in actions that do not fit what she wants for herself. She is feminine, soft, delicate and light but also very bold and in all adaptations of the play that we have seen, she is portrayed as such. In her section, her portrayal and the images shown in her section of the board match perfectly. Her images are hazy, angelic and showcase a feminine aesthetic that is filled with flowers, bows and soft white dresses. We were successful in portraying Hermia through the images, the quotes we have selected from the play showcase the characteristics of Hermia in the following ways.

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Examples Of Self Harm In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Shakesphere’s writing conveys how disregarding oneself and hurting oneself will bring love and relationships. We see this when in Act 2, Demetrius has learned of Lysander and Hermia’s plan to escape into the woods and he decided to pursue them to get his love back, Helena who was desperate to be with Demetrius followed him into the woods, then they had a confrontation.

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Sexism In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Throughout history, men have always dominated. They never let a woman rise to power or have the same rights. This sexism has been ingrained in society for thousands of years, so much so that it has defined some of the most famous works of literature, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This play was written during the Elizabethan Era, an era in which a woman had all the power imaginable (Queen Elizabeth), and yet, women were still severely discriminated against. Women had no say whatsoever in their society; they were not allowed to vote and they had very few legal rights (Papp, Joseph, Kirkland).

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Rhetorical Devices In Julius Caesar

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Shakespeare’s use of rhetorical devices draws in the reader and really makes them sympathize with the characters. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare uses irony frequently throughout the play. One instance is when Antony says, “I come to bury Casear, not to praise him.” (Shakespeare.3.2.202).

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Forbidden Love In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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At the beginning of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Hermia had the choice given by her father and the duke of Athens to either become a nun or to be executed if she refuses to marry Demetrius. The conflict that Hermia faces makes it seem as if the play will end in a tragedy. The catharsis brought in the next act when Bottom wants to act all the roles and when Flute complains about having to be the female lead in the play performed on Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding day relieves that tension. The play “Pyramus and Thisbe” had been a part of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Also, the theme of forbidden love that presents itself in “Pyramus and Thisbe” shows up in many of Shakespeare’s works such as “The tragedy of Othello”, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”

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Reality In A Midsummer Night's Dream

1034 Words | 5 Pages

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play which emphasises and explores love, free will and liminal dream-like spaces within both a fantasy realm and the real world. Within Act 2 Scene 2 lines 115-160, the Athenian lovers are experiencing a tense shift in dynamics. Lysander has been subjected to a love potion, and is leaving his relationship with Hermia in order to pursue a romance with their friend, Helena. During this passage, Shakespeare explores these key themes, and establishes a tense, uncertain reality, by providing an introduction to the conflict experienced by these characters within the entire text.

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How Is Hippolyta Portrayed In A Midsummer Night's Dream

554 Words | 3 Pages

Theseus conquers The Amazon and captures Hippolyta to be his future wife. During this story Hippolyta is put into a position where she does not have control. Theseus views her as a piece of property rather than as a human being. Shakespeare sets up this relationship to make the reader feel sympathetic towards the female character.

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Lysander And Hermia's Relationship

948 Words | 4 Pages

In our scene, lines 42-179 of Act One, Scene One, the characters who try to force love upon others are seen antagonistically, while Hermia and Lysander, who strive for true, naturally occurring love, are seen as protagonists whose love should be defended. The overlying message of the play is that love should not and cannot be forced. Theseus, Egeus, and Demetrius use their power, both as nobles and men, to try and force Hermia into marrying Demetrius. Egeus, in an attempt to bully Hermia into marrying Demetrius says, ‘‘‘She is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius’’’ (1.1.97-98). He sees his power as Hermia’s father as a way to force her into a marriage that will benefit him.

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Women In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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In modern times, women are able to hold great influence over many people and show their proof of power as leaders. In the play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, characters such as these do exist, but are overshadowed by even greater influence. In this play, Shakespeare portrays women as formidable strongholds against men with great power behind the scenes using characters such as Hermia, Hippolyta, and Titania. To begin with, Hermia is a character that holds power, but is often disregarded due to the high reputation of Egeus and Hermia’s position as his daughter. When Egeus was complaining to Theseus about Lysander and Hermia’s relationship, he says, “As she is mine, I may dispose of her” (1.1.42).

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Gender Roles In A Midsummer Night's Dream

1898 Words | 8 Pages

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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1356 Words | 6 Pages

A Midsummer Night’s Dream portrays the ideas of gender specific roles with men being assertive and women being meek when

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Male Dominance In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Prior to the 20th century, women have always been perceived as inferior to a man. It was a man’s world, they ruled the family, the workplace, the government and much more. In most modern nations reforms paved the way towards a just and equal society between the genders. This was not the case during the shakespeare’s era, even with a queen in power, all women were objectified. Shakespeare utilizes the play “A Midsummer Night's Dream” to convey the objectificatiffications–rooted from male dominance–that women have to bear, even by people who are supposed to be their biggest supporters.

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A Midsummer Night's Dream Research Paper

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Patriarchy In A Midsummer Night's Dream

986 Words | 4 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the female characters' desire to question the law of Athens and select their own husbands drives most of the conflict in the play. In a way, Hermia, Helena, and Titania are the protagonists of the play because each of their desires are being thwarted by the patriarchal structure of the society in which they live. The way the women try to overcome such hurdles does not sit well with the men. Accordingly, the men get on edge when their patriarchy is disrupted, so they make strict laws to try and keep the women under their control.

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