In connection to gender roles as portrayed in the Elizabethan culture, women had no power to do as they pleased. Power over a woman shifted hands from the father to the husband upon marriage, such that, women were not to do anything out of their own will but rather out of obedience and total submissiveness to their fathers and husbands. The feminine power was always been under men and therefore freedom of expression was limited.
The patriarchal rule is put to test by Hermia going against her father’s wish of marrying Demetrius. Instead she chooses to marry Lysander, the man who she loves and this shows how she has propagating feminism by wanting her views to be considered and even tests the tradition and law by questioning that which will happen to her if she does not obey her father’s wish of marrying Demetrius (Dusinberre 24).
Considering the Elizabethan times much was expected from women in terms of respect and submissiveness to the men in that society, such that a daughter going to an extent of going against a fathers choice of a partner to whom she was to get married to was an abomination of the highest order deserving the worst of all punishments.
Women were allowed no voice at all in matters that concerned them and this unfair treatment rendered them helpless and tortured in all aspects for lack of attention in issues that affected them. They were always beaten to submission and therefore any form of disrespect could render them a severe punishment.
The feminism theory propagates gender equality, advocates for the rights of women in making their own independent decisions, promoting women’s rights and interests.
In Midsummer Night’s dream, Hermia is a perfect example of a woman who wants to do things her own way by wanting to get married to the man she has chosen and not the one chosen for her by her father. She even questions what will happen if she does not get married to Demetrius (Dusinberre 31), this therefore shows a woman who is questioning what is considered tradition because she believes that freedom from a repressive tradition is paramount.
The father is the one to choose a husband for her daughter something that Hermia does not see as practical and that is why she is ready to go against the common norm. In this context therefore, men are seen to be treating women as objects and not human beings with feelings, likes and dislikes and this is why they want women to do what they want them do without question but Hermia rises up to challenge this belief.
Hermia is a strong willed and intelligent woman who defies her culture, the Athenian Law and even Theseus, the Duke of Athens to fight for the love of her life. In exchange for the comfort of her land where she has grown up in and family, she is ready to forsake all that and elope to distant lands which she knows nothing about in order to get her love Lysander by her side (Dusinberre 183).
This depicts her as an admirable character and very independent minded besides being determined, attributes that feminists advocate for. She is not ready to stoop low to laws that are not going to bring her the happiness she wants in life and therefore crediting her aspects of the strength of a woman.
She is not allowing herself to be treated in a manner suggesting that she has no brains and willingness to do as she pleases. Stepping up and showing the determination to do as she pleases unlike other women for instance Helena who is acting desperate for the love of a man brings hope for the independence of women in the Elizabethan era and not only then but as it has been shown in the generations that followed to the present day.
Women in the society of A Midsummer Night’s Dream are threatened with death incase they don’t obey that which they are told by the men in their lives, be it their fathers, brothers, husbands and even the law. Hernia is taken to the king and is threatened with death by her father if she is not going to take up Demetrius as a husband. She is threatened with the life of a spinster by the Duke of Athens (Dusinberre 283).
This gives the insight on the extent to which punishment would be inflicted on a disobeying woman, by her father and the set out law that is to guard its citizens. Even in the face of this; Hernia is fearless and is ready to die for her right to be happy with the man of her choice and not the one that her father chooses for her. She is ready to give up everything just for the sake of her freedom. This scene creates an impression of how repressive the system was and a determination by her to get out.
Hermia seeks to fill the gap of the status quo between men and women of that time. This is depicted in her so to say tough headedness, by saying; this is an indicator showing feminine strength.
One could have thought that with the threats on her she could have changed her stand but no, even with the option of joining a nunnery if she is not to go by her father’s wish of a husband. Hermia and Lysander decide to meet in the woods (Dusinberre 315), ignoring what could have come up about promiscuity because in fact they are an unmarried couple. In the past in a case of promiscuity among unmarried people, it was always the norm that a woman in that case was to be blamed.
But with Hermia she does not seem to care about what rumors people might say about her being in the woods with Lysander, instead she is a brave woman who is ready to do what she thinks is good for ignoring what others might say, with of course a clear determination of doing as she pleases as long as she does not hurt herself and no one in particular.
Some characters like Helena are annoyingly submissive and easy going; they are a mockery to the entire womenfolk. The strength that should be portrayed in the women of the play should be seen as that of liberating women from the ties of helplessness. Shakespeare creates Hernia as a woman with that strength that is the voice to reckon with in trying to achieve the liberty with which women are to be empowered.
Her position in the play is that of a liberator because she is using her tool of words to air her feelings without fear, a character that is displayed in feminism as a tool to be used to achieve gender equity (Dusinberre 98). Being in a position to speak her heart out and go against the norm is a plus to her in the struggle to liberate women in that society. The quality to question tradition and stand up to a king and speak her mind is quite impressive.
Because Hermia fights for the freedom of women, in both mind and soul, she respects the fact that Demetrius is in love with her friend Helena who she sees as a sister, such that Lysander acknowledges that fact to the king.
Respect among fellow women and their feelings can be seen through Hermia, who even goes on to tell Helena of her plan to elope with Lysander, so that she can give her room to get together with Demetrius (Dusinberre 18), Hermia is ready to make a sacrifice to leave for a land she knows nothing about, she sacrifices her life for the sake of a friend and fears no one. Such a sacrifice is an indicator of a freedom fighter.
Her friend’s happiness matters so much such that she fights for her own liberation and that of others who are repressed by the laws of the land. Having the zeal and determination to do that is enough proof that she is a feminist fighting for the rights of all women of the Elizabethan times.
In the woods both men under the love spell of Oberon, fall in love with Helena, Hermia does not consider it love lost. All the four lovers are not aware of what is going on between them which is of course caused by Puck’s confusion.
Hermia is saddened by the turn of events but by the time the spell put upon Lysander and Demetrius gets finished, we see Lysander and Hermia get back together. Hermia gets relieved and finally sees light at the end of the tunnel because she has the man that she has fought for by her side, the ability to take the reigning circumstances and she is not discouraged by the challenges of the time.
It is obvious that in life good times are faced with bad times, that it happens once in a while when someone is faced with challenges, but it is the same challenges that help build us, thus in the case of Hermia, she is not stopped from getting what she wants by the hard times that face her for at the end she comes out triumphant because she gets married to the man she has always loved (Dusinberre 102).
Breaking free from patriarchal rule was the main reason as to why the feminism movement came up; therefore Shakespeare might have created Hermia as a voice through which he was sending a message of hope and restoration to women.
The battle of the sexes is seen at play in the play and in the end despite the challenges met on the way; Hermia ends up with Lysander and not Demetrius. Feminism triumphs because with the fight for respect for her feelings, Hermia gets what she wants (Dusinberre 162) Hernia brings to light a new era where women are reborn and are breaking free from the bonds of inferiority and bringing them to a level ground with their male counterparts.
The duke told Hermia that her father was to be seen as a god, this was to call for total submission to him, but she raises up against all odds, even defying her own father to define her position in society and liberate other women like Helen. The forceful bond of male dominance is put to challenge and independence of women breaking loose from a suppressive era of superior male is brought out by Shakespeare.
Works Cited
Dusinberre, Juliet. Shakespeare and the Nature of Women.3rd Ed. Palgrave Macmillan, 2003