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

Since time immemorial, work force and women struggle against separately other because of the issue on power, control and domination. William Shakespeares A midsummer nights Dream similarly depicts men and women who are at odds due to their differing beliefs and values.Through the characters of Theseus, Hippolyta, Oberon, titanium oxide, Egeus, Hermia, Demetrius and capital of Montana, Shakespeare represents that the powder-puff is struggling against the authority and domination of the virile and the masculine is maintaining its authority and domination over the maidenly. This es scan attempts to explain how Shakespeare accomplishes to think of the feminine 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 bring outnce to the patriarchal rule are demonstrated by Hermia, Titania, Helena and Hippolyta.A t the start of the story, Hermia does not follow his make Egeus decision for her to marry Demetrius. Instead, she admits Lysander because she loves him. She resists his brings compensate to decide whom to choose for her future husband. She would rather choose to live as a nun or to redden die for breaking the Athenian law than to be married to Demetrius. When she was brought by her father into the presence of Theseus, she speaks these wordsSo will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,/ Ere I will yield my virgin patent up/ Unto his lordship, whose unwelcome yoke/ My soul consents not to give sovereignty. (I.i. 79-82)These words reveal the beliefs of the feminine that they would rather choose other options like being a nun or being sentenced to death than to suffer being with a human they do not love. It also expresses the belief that the woman alone has the right to decide whom to allow dominion over her.Similarly, Titania queen of the Faeries does not yield to her husbands wis h to make a nitwit son who was given to her by an Indian King to be his page. Titania stands by what she wants and she resolves that she will take care of the boy especially 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 fall apart with him (II.i. 136-137) and she defies the masculine authority of Oberon. Titanias decision and actions relate that even if a woman is married to a man, it does not mean the wife will submit to everything the husband wants.On the other hand, Helena complains on the limitations of women, We cannot contend for love, as men may do / We should be wood and were not made to woo./ Ill follow thee and make a paradise of hell,/ To die upon the hand I love so well (II.i. 241-244).She resists clean-living conventions that only men can pursue after the women. She follows Demetrius even if he drives him away from him. She bluntly tells Demetrius The mor e you beat me, I will fawn on you./ Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me,/ discount 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 Act I word picture 1 of the play, Theseus, Duke of Athens, mentions about winning over Hippolytas love with his vane and by inflicting her with injuries which could mean that Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons has been defiant against the masculine authority of Theseus ahead 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. Despite of this, Hippolyta is an example of a woman who is courageous to fight. Unfortunately, she is also an example of the f eminine that is usually foiled by the masculine. Her fate is also what happens to Titania.