Theme Of Love And Marriage In A Midsummer Night's Dream

William Shakespeare wrote numerous plays in his lifetime with a plethora of different themes, often related to love and marriage. Along with this topic, he demonstrates in his writings how society affects the way people view the ideals of love. Another point Shakespeare makes in quite a number of his plays, whether they are comical or dramatic, is how men typically dominate their relationships. In his comedies, specifically A Midsummer Night’s Dream, he also indicates an inconsistency of love and how trickery can affect relationships. Out of all of Shakespeare’s plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream demonstrates all of these themes based around love and marriage. In his writings, Shakespeare would express the societal ideals of love and marriage. Most of the marriages would be arranged because the father would have control over his daughter’s life, specifically her love life. This specific ideal is the one that usually caused the most trouble and grief. Nothing will obstruct lovers from getting what they desire. In Shakespeare’s plays, commonly when the woman’s father is not allowing something to happen, the public is also completely against it (Brown). In the beginning of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Egeus brings his daughter to Theseus, the duke of Athens, to express his frustration that Hermia does not want to marry the man he arranged for her. Theseus agrees with Egeus and tells her that if she refuses to marry her arranged partner, she either must join a nunnery or be killed