According to statisticbrain.com, today on average, an annual number of arranged marriages Worldwide is 26,250,000 and the Percent of marriages in the world that are arranged is 53.25%, shocking, right? Shakespeare did an immense work of challenging cultural norms in his time through his plays. The term “Cultural Norms” is the respected and applicable expectations and rules by which a culture guides the behavior of its members in any given situation. In this instance, In the play of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare chooses to challenge the idea of arranged marriages which was a common cultural norm of his time period. The cultural norm of arranged marriage has shifted over time from being more of a well-respected practiced and selfish …show more content…
for the family as a whole to a less respected belief but more focused on the actual subjects of the marriage. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Hermia, Daughter of Egeus is subjected to an arranged marriage. “To you [Hermia], your father should be as a god, one that composed your beauties, yea, and one to whom you are but as a form in wax by him imprinted, and within his power to leave the figure or disfigure it” [Shakespeare, 11]. In the quotation, Hermia is being told by Theseus, the duke of Athens that she must obey her father’s demands given the reason that he [Egeus] brought her into the world and gave her all his beauty and can easily take it away all away. The young women of the late 16th and 17th century were often seen as property and had …show more content…
to obey their fathers every word, if disobedience towards her father is applied, most often she is sent away to live a life of chastity. Proceeding through the play, the four lovers [Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius] find themselves asleep outside the forest after a turn of events. “Egeus, I will overbear your will, for in the temple by and by, with us, these couples shall eternally be knit” [Shakespeare,125]. From the beginning, Theseus first told Helena that she must obey her father’s choices, but then later on when Theseus finds the lovers asleep alongside each other, he realizes the love that Hermia and Lysander have for one another. Considering those events, the whole idea can be seen as a metaphor, Theseus essentially represents society as whole, and Hermia and her father Egeus are the subjects of an arranged marriage, and as time passes, society eventually will see the harm and wrong in certain “cultural norms” and comes to the realization that those cultural norms should no longer be praciced. Through a visual perspective, many films and plays capture the emotions and actions the characters undergo throughout the play. In the 1968 film of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it captures Hermia who is full of sorrow and on her knees desperately trying to convince Theseus to not let her father intervene with her love for Lysander. Just like Hermia, many young women of Shakespeare’s time are to basically choose between two lives, a life of chastity or a life of forced love. Not only did this happen in the 16th and 17th century but it also happens in modern day most commonly in the Middle East. As previously mentioned, the duke of Athens renounces that the lovers shall be allowed to marry who they truly love. The film starring the royal Shakespeare academy’s actors help understand the emotions that the four loves endure. As Theseus declares their freedom to peruse love, the four lover’s faces are filled with overwhelming joy and relief. Sadly, in old times, slim to none had the luxury or choice that Hermia received. Transitioning from a more figurative perspective towards a more factual point of view, the life of a women in the 16th through 18th century was pretty outlined as it is.
“Historians such as Lawrence Stone have identified the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries as a crucial period in the history if the family in Britain” [Layson & Phillips, 1]. To start off, women were denied all political rights, and from their depending on their economical state, women had certain duties to fulfill. And if couldn’t get any worse, all women were considered legally subject to their husband.
The outcomes of arranged marriages in old times were usually selfish and beneficial towards the family as whole and rarely for the actual forced couple. “The primary purpose of marriage, especially among the upper class, was to transfer property and forge between extended networks, or kin groups” [Layson & Phillips, 1]. Ownership of land during the European Renaissance was a major factor of the determination of one’s family wealth. Given thus reason, it helps to understand why the cultural norm of arranged marriages was so high in popularity and highly
respected. From old times to modern day, the parent’s hearts were always in place to do the right thing for the family as a whole or the daughters future. “A strong family and community culture, with attractive and positive parenting, helps adolescents pass through the challenges of a laissez-faire lifestyle” [Bari, 1]. Parent’s mindset has evolved from thinking of how they benefit from their daughter’s marriage, to now thinking of how they can help set up their daughter or sometimes even their sons for success. By finding someone who portrays similar morals and religious values, it will help set the subject of the arranged marriage to a life of good faith. As well as in old time and modern day, religion has always played a big part in most families. “Personal strength and a spiritual anchor to overcome prevailing social pressures” [Bari, 2]. Different religions obviously have different belief and customs, some more strict than others, for instance, some religions don’t approve of premarital sex, teen pregnancy and things of that nature. Arranging their sons and daughters with a spouse with similar cultural and practiced beliefs will help guide them through the tough and tempting time in life. Given thus reasons, it could also explain why 53.25 of marriages are arranged. All things considered, the life of a women has never been easy. Shakespeare made the choice of challenging cultural norms that affected women as well as men. The cultural norm of arranged marriage has impacted many lives throughout history. Arranged marriage has changed drastically over the course of time from being more of a well-respected practiced and more beneficial for the family then the actual arranged couple to a less respected belief but more focused on the actual subjects of the marriage.
Two hundred years ago, during the reign of Queen Victoria in England, the social barriers of the Victorian class system firmly defined the roles of women. The families of Victorian England were divided into four distinct classes: the Nobility or Gentry Class, the Middle Class, the Upper Working Class, and lastly, the Lower Working class . The women of these classes each had their own traditional responsibilities. The specifics of each woman’s role were varied by the status of her family. Women were expected to adhere to the appropriate conventions according to their place in the social order . For women in Victorian England their lives were regulated by these rules and regulations, which stressed obedience, loyalty, and respect.
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
Egeus is also very straightforward with his implications for his daughter as he repeats the lines “as she is mine” 3 different times throughout the first act and scene. Egeus is emphasizing his power over Hermia, and constantly reminding her and everyone else that he has possession over her. It can also be seen that when Theseus explains the penalties of Hermia marrying Lysander, he only calls upon death to Hermia, but not Lysander, even though they both share equal parts in the forbidden relationship. This proves that men are very much above the law in comparison to women, as only Hermia will have to suffer the consequences of both her and Lysander’s marriage. As Shakespeare makes it clear that women are expected to follow and obey men very early in the play, Hermia is actually portrayed as a very strong and brave character, as she steps up to her dad.
During the Middle Ages and Renaissance period marriage and love were idealized, divine and celebrated. Weddings were large events that included the entire families of both the groom and the bride. Reality was different; women were viewed as being fickle, inferior to men and a possession of men. Women had very little, if any, choice in who they would marry. Marriages were arranged so that both families would benefit in gaining wealth or power. Even though the ruler of England for over 4 decades was female, women were still not respected. Women were kept at home and not allowed to take place in public events. In Shakespeare’s Richard III, male and female relationships are displayed as deeply cynical and are based on lies, lust and political gain.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of the most important themes is the hierarchy of men and the objectifying of women. Due to the time that the comedy was written, male superiority and anti-feminism is very common and it plays an extremely critical role in each of the plays that Shakespeare has created. Throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream, women are portrayed as objects and are forced and obligated to do as the men say and are expected to accept their roles given and set by the men. On all accounts of Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an anti-feminist play through the themes of male dominance, the feeble nature of women and how women are unable to have the same rights and advantages that men
A Midsummer’s Night Dream, written by William Shakespeare, is a complicated love story that involves four teenagers. Hermia and Lysander are so in love; however, Hermia’s dad wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena is chasing after Demetrius, who treats her like a dog. The speaker is none other than the love-struck Helena. Her speech is not directed to anybody because Helena was alone, yet she still wants to make it clear how deeply in love she is with Demetrius. Shakespeare uses many literary devices to further explain and state that Helena loves Demetrius.
The Victorian era, spurred a momentary sequence of both women and men in search of a prosperous relationship regulated by the demanding etiquettes of the Victorian Society. If these desired qualities were not in possession, a man or woman could be labeled as ‘unsuitable’ in the positions of a husband or a wife. Women suffered mostly throughout the Victorian Era as rights were ceased and the rules and guidelines of society were placed. The Victorian Era caused the rights of women to escalate when the Vision of the “Ideal Woman” was introduced amongst society; producing segregation between men and women to last for years to come.
In order to accurately describe the role of women in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, one must first explore the female characters in the text. Shakespeare's works had few females because women were not allowed to act in London in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Disregarding the standards imposed on women of his time, Shakespeare created many female characters that were strong-willed, intelligent, and daring. Hermia of A Midsummer Night's Dream is one such character. She disobeys her father, her king, and the Athenian law so that she might marry the love of her life. She discards all the luxuries of her familiar and comfortable existence for the uncertainties of a distant land in exchange for the freedom to love Lysander. The only complaint against Hermia by feminist critics stems from her willingness to defy one set of confinements derived and maintained by men-her father, the king, and the male authors of Athenian law-to become the subordinate of yet another man. However, even though she rebels away from the limitations she ultimately runs towards, she is much more indep...
Is someone trying to unethically influence you? Are you doing something you were made to do? Sometimes, the force of others can influence us to do several of things, sometimes things that could ruin lives, friendships, and possibly true love. In the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” written by William Shakespeare, we find that many of the characters were once influenced by people or things, many which had no choice but to follow the orders. During these few paragraphs, you will be informed about the several influences that took place in this book/play. Ranging from the marriage of Hermia and Demetrius, to Puck's mischievous deeds and, of course, the love potion.
In Sarah Stickney Ellis’s 1839 book, The Woman of England: Their Social Duties and Domestic Habits, she explains that the ways women act can be directly tied to the unwritten rules that have been set by society: “The long-established customs of their country have placed in their hands the high and holy duty of cherishing and protecting the minor morals of life, from whence springs all that is elevated in purpose, and glorious in action” (Ellis 1611). The author conveys that society controls and clearly defines what type of attitude and activities are to be expected of a proper woman. Even though women may only be used for their so-called ‘womanly duties,’ they can still have ambition and desires. The only problem is that their society will not let them pursue any of these goals.
Justification for the subjugation of females to males during the sixteenth century came from a variety of sources. Ranging from the view that God gave Adam authority over Eve as penalty for the fall, to a belief in the superiority of a husbands’ physical strength over that of his wife, attempts at rationalization of the restricted freedom of women came from every direction.1 Puritan reformers also believed that Eve was God’s gift, given to Adam ‘to consummate and make up his happinesse.’[1] From this perspective, we can easily make the mental adjustment necessary to embrace the view of women as property that could be ‘given in marriage, taken in battle, exchanged for favours, set as tribute, traded, bought, and sold.’[2] With this viewpoint in mind, it is interesting to move into a consideration of the father-daughter relationships presented in Sidney’s The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia, Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta, and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice to analyse how this viewpoint limited the freedoms of daughters.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream The famous Shakespeare is well known for his plays. Each one of them with a specific message, hiding between the text. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written by Shakespeare. It is a book that is lighthearted in nature and consists of darker themes. The characters all go into the woods to get away from responsibility.
Nobody is safe from love. This is a fact that William Shakespeare demonstrates in his play "A Midsummers Night's Dream. " In this play, all characters transform by the power of love in its various forms. It is inevitable that all people will be transformed by love at some point, but ultimately, it is up to the person transformed to decide what to make of the transformation whether that be for better, or for worse. One of the main conflicts in “A Midsummers Night’s Dream” is romantic love, and the jealousy that arises from the romantic love.
The Role of the Fairies in A Midsummer Nights Dream Introduction = == == == ==
Throughout the early 1800s, British women most often were relegated to a subordinate role in society by their institutionalized obligations, laws, and the more powerfully entrenched males. In that time, a young woman’s role was close to a life of servitude and slavery. Women were often controlled by the men in their lives, whether it was a father, brother or the eventual husband. Marriage during this time was often a gamble; one could either be in it for the right reasons, such as love, or for the wrong reasons, such as advancing social status. In 19th century Britain, laws were enacted to further suppress women and reflected the societal belief that women were supposed to do two things: marry and have children.