Midsummer's night dream

Love is superficial. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream" multiple love triangles exist that switch between the plots. Historical and gender roles are a key point in this play. One key point explains the troublesome choices one can go through while in love. While another key point directed toward on cultural norms and perception of love. In the Ancient world of Athens males dominated their culture ultimately deciding the lives of many woman and men.

As mentioned above, the world of ancient Athens, men was the dominate gender. Women were not allowed marriage without consent of their father. They didn’t even have the right to choose their lover. In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Egues presented engagement to Hermia and a man she didn’t love. "A respectable woman's main role in ancient Athens was to stay home, keep pretty, and bear children. Her life centered in the house and the children. Most citizen wives had slaves to do the cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping. Once she gave birth, her father could not take her back (Women in Ancient Athens 1)." In ancient Athens society established that it was disrespectful for women to disobey the commands of their father or husband. If her husband thought it necessary, he would have the right to keep her locked in the house if she wasn't behaving as a proper Athenian woman should (Women in Ancient Athens 1). In this case, while Hermia consoled to Theseus, Theseus told Hermia to die or reject the society of men altogether if she shouldn't obey her father.
Either to die the death, or to abjure
For ever the society of men.
Therefore fair Hermia, question your desires,
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun, ...

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... "A Midsummers Night's Dream" Egeus was the cultural figure law. As Egeus states when talking with Theseus,
Consent to marry with Demetrius,
I beg the ancient privileges of Athens:
As she is mine, I may dispose of her:
Which shall be, either to this gentleman,
Or to her death, according to our law
Immediately provided in that case. (40-45)
Egeus was the symbolic symbol of law in the play stating that, he, as Hermia's father owned her until she was wedded to Demetrius. When Egeus finds out the couples in the end he demands the law have Lysander's head,
I beg the law, the law upon his head:
They would have stol'n away, they would, Demetrius,
Thereby to have defeated you and me:
You of your wife, and me of my consent:
Of my consent that she should be your wife. (154-158)
Theseus steps in and overrules the law. Even though Egeus lost, the men dominated to get their way.