Gender Lens in Midsummer Nights Dream

598 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Women in Sparta and Athens

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are many traces of lenses. The lens that I chose to explain is the gender lens. Since this is a long time ago, women weren’t treated the same as men. Women were treated as items, as property. Men were the rulers of everything, they made the big choices. Hermia was treated as property that Demetrius wanted, even though Lysander already “owned” and Egeus (Hermia’s father) was lending out to people. It seems like a sexist world back then.
Let’s first talk about Helena and Demetrius. Helena is “damaged goods” because of Demetrius. Demetrius is still a perfectly fine match for anyone. The girls in Athens at this time are disrespected and only seen as items that one can own. In the play, it says “Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex/We cannot fight for love as men may do. (2.1.244-245) In the play, since men are well-respected, they can do whatever they want and not have to pay the consequences. Since Helena has the “broken seal”, she is not respected, and no boy wants her. Yet, Demetrius is the same way, except that nobody cares whether or not he is...

Show More
Related

  • Stereotypes In A Midsummer Night's Dream

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stereotypes are commonly held beliefs that most are all individuals sharing a given trait also should or do share other attributes to be associated with aspects such as race, religion, and physical qualities. In Shakespeare’s “Othello” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, he uses stereotypes to embody the characteristics of the stereotypical female according to society’s liking. The women in both “Othello” and “A Midsummer NIght’s Dream” are loyal and faithful. Women are bound by respect and loyalty to the men they love. Shakespeare has drawn a line concerning gender roles and the consequences of violating these positions (Bevington, 2014). Women seem to be victimized by society’s influence as they yield to these stereotypes that shape the

    Read More

  • Love and Trickery in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream

    890 Words  | 2 Pages

    We are first introduced to Helena as Lysander tries to debunk Demetrius’ noble morals, claiming that he has slept with the woman and though she dotes after him, he is untrue. Helena is finally able to speak her perspective of the situation as she explains in the passage that she wishes to understand how Hermia has enchanted these men into loving her. She wants Hermia to “…teach me how you look, and with what art, You sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart” (1.1.192-193). Art is defined as “Skill in doing something, esp. as the result of knowledge or practice” (OED, “art”, noun, sense 1). Helena describes the craft which she feels Hermia is using as an art, a talent or a skill which should be aspired to gain. However, art can also be defined as, “Cunning; artfulness; trickery, pretence; conduct or action which seeks to attain its ends by artificial, indirect, or covert means” (OED, “art”, noun, sense 11a), and the ideas of trickery and artifices’ play heavy in the overall leitmotif of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as the underlining concerns of the love triangles

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream: Nature and Consequences of Infatuation

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    Infatuation causes Helena to lose all sense of dignity, as can be seen when in the woods, she desperately pleads with Demetrius to ?but treat me as your spaniel?. Here, Helena also becomes irrational, obsessed with pursuing Demetrius, though it is obvious that Demetrius is fixated on winning Hermia?s hand in marriage. Helena?s infatuation also causes her to see things from a skewed perspective, for she falsely believes that when she divulges Hermia?s plans for eloping with Lysander, Demetrius? love for Helena will rekindle. As the audience, we know that the most probable course of action for Demetrius upon hearing such news is to pursue Lysander and Hermia, or to report them to Theseus or Egeus. Clearly, infatuation has clouded Helena?s ability to think clearly, and she sees things in her own idealistic way.

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    In A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of the masterpieces of William Shakespeare, Shakespeare explores various aspects of love and friendship. With the help of the main characters such as Lysander, Demetrious Helena and Hermia, he endeavors that the path of love is full of obstacles, however, if one is committed and faithful, he/she can defy those obstacles leading him/her to success. As Lysander says “The course of true love never did run smooth”, the love stories presented in the play undergo difficult situations but eventually the genuine love is recognized by the triumph of the true loves.

    Read More

  • Women in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, is a play that illustrates a good picture of woman’s lack of freedom. It is a story of several couples, among which there is a fairy king, Oberon, who proves his sovereignty over the queen of the fairies, Titania. The two have an ongoing conflict about who should keep the Indian boy, whose mother had recently died. Titania doesn’t want to give him up because she and the boy’s mother knew each other very good; whereas Oberon has no relations to the boy, but really wants him as a servant. Ultimately, Oberon wins the boy by using a trick of his on Titania, revealing her weakness. Shakespeare uses Oberon to show this power of man over woman and to expose woman’s unheard, meaningless, and feeble opinions through Titania. In several scenes throughout the play, the female character, Titania, struggles to do as she desires; however, Oberon takes things under his control and helps to portray the female as weaker than the male.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    Demetrius is a fool because he is unaware that his love changes through out the play. We learn from Demetrius that he has loved Helena before bestowing his affections on Hermia ( 1.1 106-107 , 242-243 ). It is not for nothing that he is termed “spotted and inconstant man'; ( 1.1 110 ). Athough at the start of the play Demetrius no longer loves Helena. ( 2.1 195 ) Demetrius says, “I love thee not , therefore pursue me not.'; ( 2.1 201 ) “Hence , get thee gone , and follow me no more.'; In Act 3 Scene 2 , Demetrius after being juiced begins to love Helena. ( 3.2 172-176 ) Demetrius says , “Lysander , keep thy Hermia; I will none. If e’er I loved her , all that love is gone. My heart to her but as guest – wise sojourned , And not to helen is it home returned , there to reamain.'; This proves how fickle he is , for he is not aware of his changing love once for Helena then for Hermia then returning to Helena with the help of the mystical father Oberon.

    Read More

  • Love in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

    1057 Words  | 3 Pages

    During much of the play, Helena relentlessly chases Demetrius, giving him love no matter how many times he spurns her. While in pursuit of him in the woods, where he tells her that he will never reciprocate her feelings, she tells him, “I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius,/The more you beat me, I will fawn on you” (II.i.203-204). She is so desperate to win him over that she lowers her own status, calling herself his dog; no matter how many times he may abuse her, she will always adore him. Out of love, Helena is willing to swallow her pride to prove her devotion to him. More evidence of Helena’s blind love towards Demetrius can be found in her overlooking the flaws in Demetrius’ character. For example, he proves himself to be quite insensitive towards Helena: when they are in the woods, he says he will “leave [her] to the mercy of the wild beasts” (II.i.228) if she doesn’t stop following him. He also says to her, “…I am sick when I do look on thee” (II.i.212). Lastly, he threatens her, saying “…if thou follow me, do not believe/But I shall do thee mischief in the wood” (II.i.237). Helena acknowledges this aspect of his character, though choos...

    Read More

  • How Is Helena Portrayed In A Midsummer Night's Dream

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although Helena’s love for Demetrius may have been constant, it’s also destructive in the way that Helena demeans herself in order to rationalize Demetrius’s harsh words towards her, “—spurn me, strike me, neglect me, lose me. Only give me leave, unworthy as I am, to follow you.” (Act 2 Scene 1) Helena even goes as far as to reveal Lysander and Hermia’s plan to elope together to Demetrius in a desperate and illogical attempt to somehow get him to acknowledge her. She even admits that her pining for him is wrong, albeit only because Demetrius is also wrong in his one-sided love towards Hermia, “And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes, so I, admiring of his qualities,” (Act 1 Scene 1) indicating that her feelings are out of her own control. Demetrius did originally love Helena, but then he instantly fell out of love with her then in love with Hermia. This maybe have been unfair in Helena’s eyes, but it wasn't his own conscious decision, love is not a

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In A Midsummer Night's Dream

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written by William Shakespeare, is one of the authors most beloved comedies. The play centers around the plight of Hermia, who is engaged to Demetrius, whom she does not love and of Helena, who has an unrequited love for Demetrius. The play’s other female characters include, Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons and Titania, queen of the Fae. The play has many themes, but one of the most prevalent ones is how Shakespeare portrays the women. From the insubordinate bride, Hermia, to the warring Queen Hippolyta, is would seem that throughout the satire, Shakespeare weaves a criticism of the gender roles of the time period.

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, by William Shakespeare the contrast between both setting and character are well explained throughout the play. This play is mostly about four young Athenians whose lives become a total disaster because of the fairies in the forest, strange situations in the city of Athens, Greece and mixtures of love potions. The main setting of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is in Athens, Greece. In Athens, the Duke Theseus plans his marriage with Hippolyta. In contrast, the forest is where all the drama happens between all the characters. The four main characters of this play are Hermia, Helena, Demetrius and Lysander.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Identities: A Midsummer Night's Dream

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    In A Midsummer Night's Dream, playwright William Shakespeare creates in Bottom, Oberon, and Puck unique characters that represent different aspects of him. Like Bottom, Shakespeare aspires to rise socially; Bottom has high aims and, however slightly, interacts with a queen. Through Bottom, Shakespeare mocks these pretensions within himself. Shakespeare also resembles King Oberon, controlling the magic we see on the stage. Unseen, he and Oberon pull the strings that control what the characters act and say. Finally, Shakespeare is like Puck, standing back from the other characters, acutely aware of their weaknesses and mocks them, relishing in mischief at their expense. With these three characters and some play-within-a-play enchantment, Shakespeare mocks himself and his plays as much as he does the young lovers and the mechanicals onstage. This genius playwright who is capable of writing serious dramas such as Hamlet and Julius Caesar is still able to laugh at himself just as he does at his characters. With the help of Bottom, Oberon, and Puck, Shakespeare shows us that theatre, and even life itself, are illusions that one should remember to laugh at.

    Read More

  • The Relationship Dynamics Of A Midsummer Night's Dream

    1353 Words  | 3 Pages

    The relationship between Demetrius and Hermia is problematic, in that Demetrius is seeking the affections of Hermia, while she is in love with Lysander. However, Hermia’s father approves of Demetrius and tries to force her to marry him, but Hermia refuses because of her love for Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.22-82). Lysander points out the flaw in the situation through this comment, “You have her father 's love, Demetrius –/Let me have Hermia 's. Do you marry him,” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.93-94). The second flawed relationship is between Lysander and Helena, as a result of an enchantment put on Lysander that made him fall in love with Helena. Helena does not want the affections of Lysander, but rather the love of Demetrius, and believes that Lysander is taunting her. In addition, this relationship creates tensions because Hermia is in love with Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2.2.109-140). Both relationships are not desirable due to a lack of mutual admiration and the creation of non-peaceful and unsatisfying

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream Research Paper

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Role of the Fairies in A Midsummer Nights Dream Introduction = == == == ==

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay: Love and Marriage

    2341 Words  | 5 Pages

    The play shows how the ideal relationship is that in which the affections and the reasonable mind are both in harmony. At the start of the play, both Demetrius and Helena are clearly at fault. Demetrius has allowed his love for Helena to abate; she, by fawning on him, is guilty of doting, which exacerbates his dislike. An honourable man would stand by his promise and try to re-discover his love for Helena, and it is this which draws Lysander's taunt that Demetrius is "spotted and inconstant". In time, perhaps, Demetrius might reconsider Helena's merits, but in the brief ti...

    Read More

  • The Theme of Love in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

    547 Words  | 2 Pages

    Demetrius, Helena, Lysander, and Hermia are the for young teens of the story. At the beginning of the play it is Lysander and Helena who are madly in love, and are planning to to escape from Athens to elope. Helena is in love with Demetrius, and Demetrius cared for Helena and liked her a lot but was not in love with her. As soon as Demetrius sees Hermia he immediately stops having any feelings for Helena whatsoever and is deeply in love with Hermia. Demetrius thought that he had fallen in love at first sight, but Helena was determined to show him differently. Demetrius: ³ Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit,/ For I am sick when I do look on thee.² Helena: ³And I am sick when I look not on you.² (Act II, sc. i, lines 218-220) This piece of dialogue shows how much Demetrius is now in love with Hermia from just seeing her, and how disgusted he feels when he looks upon Helena who he used to care about. Helena is simply just expressing how much she is love with Demetrius and how bad she feels that he is treating her in such a manner of hatred.

    Read More

More about Gender Lens in Midsummer Nights Dream

Open Document