Female Weakness In A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The first female character that Shakespeare portrays as weak is Hippolyta. Hippolyta is married to Thesus, who “wooed [her] with [his] sword, / And won [her] love doing [her] injuries” (Act I, Scene I, lines 16-17). She is not married to Thesus out of love, but instead seems to be his possession. She has lost much of her fighting spirit since the commencement of her relationship with Thesus, and he often ignores her opinions. For example, at the end of the play, when Thesus is choosing which play is to be performed at their wedding ceremony, Hippolyta states that perhaps he has not made the best choice. When Thesus ignores this statement, Hippolyta does not protest again. It is obvious that their relationship is very male-dominated, and Hippolyta has

Through the female characters and their relationships in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare highlights female weakness and male dominance in relationships. Women are unable to voice their opinions, and males often use their positions of power to manipulate them to get what they want.

The strongest example of female weakness in the play is seen through the character of Helena. Helena is in love with Demetrius, who does not only not love her back, but despises her. Demetrius constantly treats Helena with extreme cruelty. He even threatens violence if she doesn’t refrain from pursuing him. However, even though she knows that she is making a fool of herself, Helena does not desist chasing after him, despite the harsh insults that she receives from him. At one point, she even asks Demetrius to treat her as he would treat his dog. “The more you beat me I will fawn on you. / Use me but as your spaniel: spurn me, strike me, / Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, / Unworthy as I am, to follow you. / What worser place can I beg your love /… Than to be used as you use your dog”(Act 2, Scene 1, lines 202-210)? Shakespeare sharply downplays women through Helena’s character, and her weakness and vulnerability are strongly illustrated through her willingness to be treated like a dog. Her relationsh

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