The Masculine and Feminine in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Since clock immemorial, workforce and women struggle against each a nonher(prenominal) because of the issue on power, control and mastery. William Shakespe atomic number 18s A Midsummer Nights daydream similarly depicts men and women who argon at odds due to their differing beliefs and values.Through the characters of Theseus, Hippolyta, Oberon, Titania, Egeus, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, Shakespe be represents that the maidenly is struggling against the authority and domination of the manful and the manful is maintaining its authority and domination everywhere the maiden similar. This essay attempts to explain how Shakespeare accomplishes to characterize the maidenly and the masculine through the men and women in the play.A Midsummer Nights Dream illustrates that women attempt to go against male domination in the story but they are almost always controlled by men. Examples of feminine disobe distributence to the patriarchal rule are demonstrated by Hermia, Titania, He lena and Hippolyta.At the appear of the story, Hermia does non follow his father Egeus finale for her to marry Demetrius. Instead, she chooses Lysander because she knows him. She resists his fathers adjust to decide whom to choose for her future hubby. She would kinda choose to live as a nun or to even die for breaking the Athenian law than to be married to Demetrius. When she was brought by her father into the heraldic bearing of Theseus, she speaks these wordsSo allow I grow, so live, so die, my lord,/ Ere I go forth yield my virgin patent up/ Unto his lordship, whose un privationed yoke/ My soul consents non to give sovereignty. (I.i. 79-82)These words reveal the beliefs of the feminine that they would rather choose other options like existence a nun or being sentenced to death than to suffer being with a man they do not love. It in addition expresses the belief that the fair sex altogether has the right to decide whom to allow principle over her.Similarly, Titania magnate of the Faeries does not yield to her husbands wish to unsex a changeling son who was given to her by an Indian mightiness to be his page. Titania stands by what she wants and she resolves that she will take care of the boy oddly that the boys mother who is already was her loyal follower.So she tells her husband Oberon, And for her sake I rear up the boy, / And for her sake I will not part with him (II.i. 136-137) and she defies the masculine authority of Oberon. Titanias finding and actions relate that even if a woman is married to a man, it does not fee-tail the wife will submit to everything the husband wants.On the other plenty, Helena complains on the limitations of women, We behindnot fight down for love, as men may do / We should be wood and were not made to woo./ Ill follow thee and make a heaven of hell,/ To die upon the hand I love so nearly (II.i. 241-244).She resists moral conventions that provided men can pursue after the women. She follows Demetrius even if he drives him away from him. She bluntly tells Demetrius The more(prenominal) you puzzle me, I will fawn on you./ Use me but as your spaniel, pass up me, strike me,/ Neglect me, lose me only give me leave/, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. (II.i. 204-207).Helena and her actions exemplify women who are liberated and who wants to be equal with men in terms of expressing their feelings to the one they love.Lastly, Hippolyta is a symbol of a woman who fought against male aggression but was conquered. In recreate I Scene 1 of the play, Theseus, Duke of Athens, mentions nigh winning over Hippolytas love with his sword and by inflicting her with injuries which could mean that Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons has been defiant against the masculine authority of Theseus in the lead he became triumphant.And even though she is already betrothed to Theseus and does not say anything more about the wedding, it is uncertain if she heartily agrees to it. in spite of of this, Hippolyta is an example of a woman who is daring to fight. Unfortunately, she is also an example of the feminine that is normally defeated by the masculine. Her fate is also what happens to Titania.