... traditional gender roles, which dictated that a woman should marry to either preserve or advance social ties and familial goals, not to gratify her own romantic or sexual needs or desires. Egeus is so insistent about the importance of maintaining the dominant gender paradigm that he entreats Theseus to use the full ... especially for Olivia, to marry within their class so as to protect and sustain their social position. Also like Hermia, Olivia is determined to love who she wants and on her own terms; for this reason she invents the excuse that she is mourning for her deceased brother w...

• Word Count: 2208
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Graduate