Patriarchy In A Mid Summer Night's Dream

The oppressive power of patriarchy has remained an unyielding force within human civilization. In William Shakespeare’s comedy A Mid Summer Night’s Dream, he makes a point to interject strong female leads who challenge the rules of patriarchy, in hopes that women at the time of the play’s production will too challenge the patriarchal society in which they are submerged in. Hippolyta, Hermia, Helena and Titania all in their own individual and unique ways either challenge the enforced social system of patriarchy or succumb to its demands and consequently, submit themselves as a subordinate role as a female. Unsurprisingly, Hermia and Helena—the two young heroines of the play—are fuelled by the mistreatment of their male superiors and fight to challenge the society they find themselves ensnared within. All the while Hippolyta and Titania at first attempt to challenge their husbands and grooms to be but …show more content…
Hippolyta effectively has no choice but to succumb to the demands of her Fiance being a “spoil of war” Helena and Titania find themselves threatened by the use of violence by their male superiors Demetrius and Oberon, while Hermia faces the threat of her own death via her father and the court of law in Athens. Hermia is the only successful female protagonist to gain some independence from Egeus and Demetrius by running away with Lysander and remaining faithful to her values when Lysander suggests they sleep together before they are officially married. The patriarchal and —evidently violent— society in which Athens finds itself in for the duration of the play creates many complications for Hippolyta, Hermia, Helena and Titania but in the end, Hermia does make some progress for equality from the patriarchy through her refusal to marry Demetrius and her newly approved marriage to Lysander, aided by the actions and reactions of the other essential male characters within the