Theme Of Patriarchy In A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shakespear play A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that consists of a comedy and mostly romance of four lover's that fight to be together which eventually gets the characters into problems. There are many examples of patriarchy throughout the play, the one that stud and persuaded me the most is how man hold all the power over the women, and women are largely excluded from everything. The women on the other hand have no say on the commands that they are given by the man, the women are treated like an object and property. Firstly, one example where patriarchy is exhibited is on act 1 scene 1 between Theseus duke of Athens and Hippolyta queen of the Amazons, when Theseus came back from battle, As stated " I woo'd thee with my sword …show more content…
Be advised, fair maid: to you your father should be a god: one that compose your beauties"(pg2). Therefore, this shows how back in the days people viewed their fathers like some type of god, because the man had a large amount of the power over the women in every way possible. This also shows Shakespear conveying how the lifestyle was in England. Moreover, further in the play at the beginning of scene 2 new characters were introduced which consisted of Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout. This characters were rehearsing for a play for Hippolyta and Theseus wed. In this play one specific action stud out, As stated " Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a beard coming. That’s all one: you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will"(pg10). Ergo, this illustrates how women were not allowed to be in plays or in any type of activities, because they were under looked by society and they were viewed as a minority, they were not