Gender Lens in A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is a brilliant play that shows elements of romance, comedy, and magic. The play takes place in Athens, Greece in ancient times, when men and women had specific roles, jobs, and rules applying to their gender. For example, women were not allowed to perform in plays, when men were. There were also stereotypes of men and women, such as men being stronger, and women being prettier. These rules and stereotypes affect A Midsummer Night’s Dream in many ways. Gender’s rules, stereotypes, and roles are apparent in A Midsummer Night’s Dream because of it’s time period, and its culture. A Midsummer Night’s Dream shows many examples of how gender affects a relationship. For example, In these times, women were not allowed to love anyone, unless they were married. But, men were allowed to do whatever each one wanted when it came to relationships. This was seen throughout the play when Helena was betrayed by Demetrius and was presumed â€Å"damaged goods†. Helena was humiliated and looked at in a negative way, and Demetrius was not affected by the event. This shows how gender affects the rules and way of life in the play. Helena stated: You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius! Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex. We cannot fight for love, as men may do. We should be woo’d and were not made to woo (2.1.243-246). This quote implies that Helena is aware of how women do not have the same opportunities and freedom to fight as men do, and thatShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Love Gone Love And A Midsummer Nights Dream1892 Words   |  8 Pagesthroughout the times. Forbidden love seems nearly as popular as does love gone wrong and unconditional love. Two tales that contain the theme of forbidden love, the theme of love gone wrong, and the theme of unconditional love are: William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Fay Weldon’s â€Å"IND AFF or Out of Love in Sarajevo.† Though these stories were both written many years apart, they have a commonality with their themes. These themes can be drawn by the individual story’s main characters andRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesInnovative Attitude Scale 225 Scoring Key 225 Creative Style Assessment 226 Scoring Key 226 Comparison Data 226 SKILL PRACTICE Applying Conceptual Blockbus ting 227 Observer’s Feedback Form 227 Answer to Matchstick Problem in Figure 3.4 229 Answer to Shakespeare Riddle in Figure 3.5 229 Some Common Themes Applying to Water and Finance 229 Answer to Name That Ship Problem in Figure 3.6 230 Answer to Nine-Dot Problem in Figure 3.7 230 Answer to Embedded Pattern Problem in Figure 3.8 231 PART II 4 INTERPERSONAL