Midsummer Night's Dream Thesis
THESIS STATEMENT In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare modeled the relationships between Hermia and Egeus, Titania and Oberon, and Theseus and Hippolyta after the Elizabethan hierarchy, yet challenged the traditional gender roles through his dominant female characters. PURPOSE STATEMENT Through critical analysis, historical reference, and literary interpretation, a comparative study between the Elizabethan era and A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be presented to express Shakespeare’s literary objection to the tradition male hierarchy. INTRODUCTION Representing a large assemblage of social classes, the Elizabethan audience shaped the personalities and ideologies of Shakespeare’s characters. By capturing the human condition of his contemporaries, Shakespeare founded the beliefs and tendencies of his characters on the common man in England. “The synthesizing impulse …show more content…
However, Hermia’s heart had already been “flinched” by Lysander, and she refuses to obey her father’s command. Egeus knows, “As she is mine, I may dispose of her, / Which shall be either to this gentleman / Or to her death, according to our law” (1.1.42-44). The law of Athens places Hermia in an unjust situation, to choose either loosing Lysander for Demetrius, perpetual virginity, or death. Theseus, acting as the stately father, reinforces Egeus’ demands and further expounds, “To you your father should be as a god— / One that composed your beauties, yea, and one / To whom you are but as a form in wax / By him imprinted, and within this power / To leave the figure or disfigure it” (1.1.47-51). Patriarchal Athens, modeled after Elizabethan England, acts as a dictatorship, endowed with the power to give life or impose death. Hermia is a victim of her situation, forced to either speak out or conform to her father’s
A Midsummer Night's Dream Compare And Contrast
500 Words | 2 PagesSome people feel that it`s quite challenging locating differences between a written story and its film, though, however, some people find it considerably simple to detect differences between the pair. A Midsummer Nights Dream was undoubtedly great cinematic film made in 1999. However, the written play of A Midsummer Nights Dream was much more detailed and more informational. The differences I noticed were the following: The Indian boy and his role, the setting, characters and examples of similarities. First of all, the primary anomaly I noticed implies the Indian boy and his role during the piece.
Essay On Symposium And Lysistrata
978 Words | 4 PagesThe union of both sexes is a notable metaphor in both “Symposium” and “Lysistrata”; however, the nature of the love between the sexes draws a distinction between both works. In Symposium, Aristophanes described how both sexes were so powerful when united; and when they were separated, human beings still strived to be united once more by any means. On the other hand, in Lysistrata the characters were already married and united; however, women found their true strength when they started a psychological war on their men. Even though both works drew the readers’ attention to the need for love, Symposium emphasizes the union of sexes in a way that the characters in Lysistrata will never reach; where love is not only about sex and physical attraction, but it’s also about a healthy relationship occupied with affection and caring.
Social Order Paradox In Twelfth Night
1806 Words | 8 PagesElizabethan and Jacobean England was an exceptionally hierarchical society, where social order and class remained stringent and impermeable. King Lear and Twelfth Night are examples of how William Shakespeare dramatically engaged with these stratified boundaries by focusing on the characters who attempted to transgress and subvert them. However, as one investigates these social shackles, a ‘social order paradox’ can be found according to Whitney Graham. Graham defines this as, ‘the way in which he effectively critiques and challenges the claim that social hierarchies are inherently rigid, while he, at the same time, simultaneously reinforces and supports these very notions contextually. Thus, though Shakespeare creates worlds in which characters
Sexism In A Midsummer Night's Dream
1910 Words | 8 PagesThroughout 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).
Lysander And Hermia's Relationship
948 Words | 4 PagesLysander’s unbridled love for Hermia shows obvious respect towards females, making him out to be one of the few characters admired by the audience. In our scene, Lysander’s subtext is an excited yet mannerly teenager who fears Theseus yet still stands up for himself and Hermia. When he saw that his relationship was being threatened he stopped cowering and pushed Egeus and Demetrius away pleading his case to Theseus. Hermia, who has a similar definition of love, trusts the emotion and thinks of it as a driving force in her life. When given the choice between spending the rest of her life as a nun and being forced into a loveless marriage, she decides that staying perpetually celibate would be the superior choice: “‘So will I grow, so live, so die my lord, ere I will yield my virgin patent up unto his lordship, whose unwishèd yoke my soul consents not to give sovereignty’”
Macbeth And Medea Analysis
1655 Words | 7 PagesPaul Vu Dr. Elizabeth C. Ramírez THTR 475A.03 2 May 2017 Macbeth and Medea: Breaking Expectations Macbeth by William Shakespeare and Medea by Euripides are known for their powerful critiques on the social expectations of women. Women during the time of Elizabethan and Greek theatre were often stereotyped and considered the weaker sex. Men were depicted as strong individuals who supported and protected women. However, both Shakespeare and Euripides broke expectations by portraying strong and iconic female characters in their respective plays. The idea of a strong female character was often unheard of during the time of Elizabethan and Greek Theatre.
Analysis Of Lysistrata By Aristophanes
1568 Words | 7 PagesIntroduction The purpose of this essay is to investigate the women’s role in Classical Greece society and literature (5th/4th century b.C.). Therefore, I decided to discuss and analyse one of the most controversial comedies of that time, “Lysistrata” by Aristophanes. This text shows how women, sick of their submissive and powerless position in the political scenario of Athens and Sparta, come on the scene and, through a smart stratagem, achieve their expected result.
Justice In A Midsummer Night's Dream
779 Words | 4 PagesToba Beta once said: "“Justice could be as blind as love.” Shakespeare 's play A Midsummer Night 's Dream captures the blind bias of both love and justice. Egeus, a respected nobleman in Athens, arranged for his daughter, Hermia, to marry nobleman Demetrius. Egeus tells his daughter that she must obey his wishes: if she does not, she can either choose to become a nun, or die. Hermia, much to her father 's dismay, is deeply in a mutual love with a different nobleman, Lysander.
Examples Of Patriarchy In The Odyssey
1007 Words | 5 PagesTo accomplish this analyzation I have structured this paper into an intro paragraph, four body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. The first body paragraph explains how Penelope’s forced marriage with Odysseus supports the patriarchy. The second paragraph analyzes Penelope’s character, and how the story diminishes her character to make men seem more powerful. The third paragraph dives into the relationship with the suitors and Penelope. I analyze how Penelope uses her situation to her advantage, and how that undermines the patriarchy.
Class System In Twelfth Night
857 Words | 4 PagesThe rigid class system in Middle Age Europe was a primary factor that determined the course of events. In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, there are underlying issues throughout the plot involving classes of the characters, and their roles within their class. While for the time period, it was common for those in lower classes to be looked down upon, Shakespeare uses many mediums to slyly challenge this idea. Throughout the play, Shakespeare makes the class differences obvious, yet creates certain character dynamics which challenge preconceptions. Twelfth Night is centered around a distinct and rigid class system, yet Shakespeare comments on its negative impacts, and yearns for a more fluid system, in order to create a more just and fair world.
How Is Hippolyta Portrayed In A Midsummer Night's Dream
554 Words | 3 PagesIn Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream the sexes are portrayed in many different ways through many different characters. Though the sexes are portrayed in many different ways, there is one view that is repeated twice. This view is that of a dominant male figure. This view is showed through the characters of Theseus and Hippolyta and also through the characters of Hermia and Egeus. Both of these relationships are dynamic, yet they are both still based on the idea of a dominant male figure.
Men And Women In A Midsummer Night's Dream
1205 Words | 5 PagesToday, men and women have equal rights, but that does not mean life has always been simple for both genders. When Shakespeare writes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are roles, behaviors, and expectations for the dominant men and submissive women. This literature portrays the major changes in the lives of both sexes throughout the years, which shows the advances women gain with time. The gender issue of men being dominant and women being submissive used in the drama, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, shows the differences in the roles, behaviors, and expectations appropriate for each gender and is an example of an outdated stereotype.
A Midsummer Night's Dream Philosophical Analysis
1635 Words | 7 PagesPhilosophical approach on the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream Submitted to: Prof. Eliezer V. David Submitted by: Jan MarveManaligod KristianDacara Bryan RonhellTangonan MarckRacell Diego BSME-2C Philosophy is the study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of knowledge or experience. In every story there is a philosophy. It is the way of the author to show the moral lesson of the play.
Patriarchy In A Midsummer Night's Dream
986 Words | 4 PagesIn 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.
How Did Shakespeare Influence Elizabethan Theatre
1827 Words | 8 PagesIn this essay I will discuss the entire life of William Shakespeare, what it was influenced by in terms of spirituality, ideal and social force behind his work (arts). Further, the challenges he faced both personally and professionally in pursuing social relevance in his plays and the historical significance portrayed in his whole work. Also, I will discuss the development and times of the Elizabethan theatre with the Elizabethan ideal of the core and how Shakespeare was influential in that period. Lastly I will reflect on the elements of Macbeth as a genre to illustrate my research findings.
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