Theola Reets English April 28 th, 2017 Cat fights and Looks Shakespeare sexism in Midsummer night s dream In Midsummer Night s Dream Shakespeare, does play into the stereotypes and gender roles with characters Hermia and Helena. Sexism in writing is Now indicates any arbitrary stereotyping of males and females based on their gender, (Carney,1977) In the beginning of the book we are introduce to Hermia and find out the limiting roles and options for women. Through several parts of the story Hermia and Helena are arguing with each other and comparing their looks. It s as if all women care about is how they look and who looks better. All their arguments must do with males and believes that they are stealing their man from each other. There intelligence is brought to question by males debating whether females are smart enough to tell what is real and what isn t. Shakespeare play was published in 1596 and performed in 1605, during that time it was not as progressive as today. Hermia is an example of what options was available for women. Either to die the death, or to abjure forever the society of men (1.1.3) the options that was given to Hermia is that she could either die if she decides not to listen to her father, listen to her father and marry who he would like her to and last stay a virgin forever. The law backs up Egeus claim for her to die, the reason that she s put in that position is because he claims she no longer listens to him. As a woman, she is expected to listen to him and he got upset when she didn t and now wants to dispose of her. This enforce the idea that they are just seen as property when something is no longer useful to you or causing you grief and annoyance, dispose of it. Women did not get
to make decisions for themselves, their reputation is solely determined on who they are married to and how known the males in their life are, brother, father, husband. Man is only in this way secure of his freedom and can enjoy his existence as a self determined being, (Snider, 1874) Hermia was not able to marry Lysander until Demetrius stated that he was not in love with her but rather Helena. Hermia was in love with Lysander since the beginning and protests against the idea of her marrying someone she is not in love with this is not validated until Demetrius word and freedom is tested. Another character, Helena shows that women gets crazy about men and on certain occasions desperate. Helena one can say the reason that she is following Demetrius and trying to show him that she will do anything for him is because her image is tainted. She was incapable of keeping a man and then the situation worsens by the fact that he left her for her best friend. Your virtue is my privilege (1.1.19) when she was threatened to be rape by Demetrius she said she would welcome it. As a representation that she is willing to give that up if she is his. And to show the severity of her love and how she is willing to give what he wants. This is more desperate rather than assertive because she follows him and betrays her friend to please Demetrius to win her back. If she was playing a more progressive character, the fact that she gives up Hermia s plan shows a stereotype that women are petty and only for themselves when it comes to love. Women did not have as much agency as men because they were believed to be inferior and weak to be able to do anything on their own. A major way to people try to prove one is inferior is by comparing intelligence, And you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek: and that were enough to hang us all (1.2.10), they believe that women are so gullible and lack intelligence that they would believe there was a
real lion. Women are usually emotional and always need to be protected always, is a gender role enforce on men to play protectors. Even before the play they are making precautions to make the women feel safe. They show that women are quick too just let their emotions go and they need to stop it beforehand.. Ways that women acknowledge people shows the difference between power that they have. For Hermia, even though she is Egeus daughter she still approaches him Theseus a different way, because she is a female, she emphasized his status to be more respectful, I do entreat your grace I beseech your grace, (1.1.3) she talks to him as if he was royalty because he is very powerful and has the class and reputation to decide the outcome of her life. Women are oppressed by the dominant patriarchal structure, (Morgan et al Rhoden, 1955), men are in power during this tie power the people with the most power is a male character Theseus who takes his wife power as well. Due to the duke s class, he can get Hippolyta as a wife, queen of the Amazons. A woman with that status is not easy to marry. Theseus could marry after he conquered her land, she uses to be a strong warrior queen but this is no longer so since Theseus defeated her. This shows and helps give the evidence that men are more superior to women and no matter who she is can be taken down by a man. After the won he marries her, she is a prize for his accomplishment and now be a trophy wife. Throughout the story any situations involving the women their looks become known. They either talk about it themselves or they compare each other on how they look Call you me fair...o, teach me how you look; and with what are (1.1.7). Since Demetrius left her for Hermia, Helena started to compare herself to Hermia. Trying to figure out what s wrong with her and become someone close to who Demetrius likes. This enforces the idea that women should be what men
like, altering their image and who they are to please them. This also feeds into the idea that men should expect women to do such things because they are no more than someone to look good with. Between our statures; she hath urged height, (3.2.40) When Hermia and Helena are arguing looks is something that Hermia decides to use her height against her, calling her short and making jokes/puns revolving around her height. This brings emphasis that women should look a certain way even with things that they can t necessary control for instance like height. Not only that Shakespeare shows that even women fall for that role and enforces it on each other. A common stereotype that is known is that women argues with each other and constantly worry about men. That a main component about the female gender role is that they are always in a catfight. When Demetrius and Lysander follows, and confesses their love for Helena it brews an argument amongst the women. O me! You juggler! You canker Blossom! You thief of love, (3.2.40) Hermia is screaming at Helena because in her eyes Helena stole her man. The fact that she is mad at that Helena did that can be tied into the fact that women does stuff that they don t like being done to them. At first Hermia stole Helena s man and now Helena stole Hermia s man. This is one of the oldest version of a girl fight ever and created the basis for many of these types of storylines to come. Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, (3.2.38) Women are often told that they must worry about their reputation and how they are perceived. They must have a certain manner and behavior to uphold and the fact that Hermia screamed at Helena shows that she does not. The way that Hermia and Helena acts plays into gender roles and if one of them does start or try to break out of a gender role the other one is there to put them back in check. Shakespeare shows that women care about their appearance and they should because they are to be presentable and
desirable to men. This is shown through many instances with Helena and if they don t look well enough should change to. Hermia and Helena are constantly fighting over the men, the she took my man/ girls fight over boys stereotype. Helena shows how desperate and crazy females can get when love is involved. Hermia and Helena are the stereotypical women who fit into the gender roles and worry about exactly what men expect and what is enforced on women. If the men freedoms were not going to be hurt decisions change but if their reputation was to be anyway harm, it would be stopped. Work Cited Carney, Janet. The Language of Sexism: Sugar, Spice and Semantics. Journal of Reading, vol. 21, no. 1, 1977, pp. 51 56., www.jstor.org/stable/40009861. Snider, D. J. MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, vol. 8, no. 2, 1874, pp. 165 186., www.jstor.org/stable/25665868. Morgan, Mary Y., and J. Lyn Rhoden. Change in White College Women's Understanding of Sexism: Empowerment through Critical Reflection. NWSA Journal, vol. 7, no. 2, 1995, pp. 35 57., www.jstor.org/stable/25164283.