Should women have equal power as men in the play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream? There are 3 relationships in this play that show that men have more power than women, Egeus and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, Titania and Oberon. In the play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, men have all the power over women.
First, Egeus and has power over Hermia because he wants Hermia to listen to everything he says. Egeus wants Hermia to marry a guy of his choice which is Demetrius but she wants to marry Lysander. Lysander truly loves Hermia and Hermia loves Lysander but because of her father, Egeus she has to marry Demetrius or else she could be hanged or put to death. In the play he states,” As she is mine, I may dispose of her—/Which shall be either to this gentleman/Or to her death—according to our law” (1.1.43-45). Egeus also wants Hermia to treat him as a god. He states “To you your father should be as a god,” (1.1.48). This means that Hermia should obey his law and treat him as a god. In Athens, women were not allowed to chase after men, they were told to marry who their …show more content…
Titania did not want to give up the changeling boy because it holds a lot of meaning for her but Oberon wants the changeling boy so he can have him for his knights. Oberon anoints her so she would give up the changeling boy to him. He puts the flower juice to her eyes so that she would fall in love with a vile creature and he could have the changeling boy. Titania finally falls in love with an ass and gives up the changeling boy to him. After he gets the changeling boy he undoes her from the spell. Oberon states “...And now I have the boy, I will undo/This hateful imperfection of her eyes...” (4.1.45-46). When Titania wakes up from the spell she thinks it was a dream how she fell in love with an ass. This relationship shows that Oberon had power to get the changeling boy and put a spell on
First, Egeus and has power over Hermia because he wants Hermia to listen to everything he says. Egeus wants Hermia to marry a guy of his choice which is Demetrius but she wants to marry Lysander. Lysander truly loves Hermia and Hermia loves Lysander but because of her father, Egeus she has to marry Demetrius or else she could be hanged or put to death. In the play he states,” As she is mine, I may dispose of her—/Which shall be either to this gentleman/Or to her death—according to our law” (1.1.43-45). Egeus also wants Hermia to treat him as a god. He states “To you your father should be as a god,” (1.1.48). This means that Hermia should obey his law and treat him as a god. In Athens, women were not allowed to chase after men, they were told to marry who their …show more content…
Titania did not want to give up the changeling boy because it holds a lot of meaning for her but Oberon wants the changeling boy so he can have him for his knights. Oberon anoints her so she would give up the changeling boy to him. He puts the flower juice to her eyes so that she would fall in love with a vile creature and he could have the changeling boy. Titania finally falls in love with an ass and gives up the changeling boy to him. After he gets the changeling boy he undoes her from the spell. Oberon states “...And now I have the boy, I will undo/This hateful imperfection of her eyes...” (4.1.45-46). When Titania wakes up from the spell she thinks it was a dream how she fell in love with an ass. This relationship shows that Oberon had power to get the changeling boy and put a spell on