Literary and historical scholars agree that women did not enjoy political, economic, or social parity with men during Shakespeare's time, and this historical reality is important to keep in mind when analyzing the variety of female characters in the plays of Shakespeare. ... Her father, Egeus, has dragged Hermia off to Theseus's court in a desperate attempt to compel his daughter to comply with his wish that she marry Demetrius, rather than her beloved, Lysander. ... Egeus is so insistent about the importance of maintaining the dominant gender paradigm that he entreats Theseus to use...

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