Paper 1 A Midsummer Night's Dream. Literature & Language Essay

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Paper 1 A Midsummer Night's Dream
7.At the end of the play, Theseus and Hippolyta are married. What will be their future? (Consult online resources.) Can you find other places in the play that might hint at that future for Theseus and Hippolyta?
In the opening scene, Theseus, the Duke of Athens talks with Hippolyta the Queen of the Amazons about their impending wedding, to take place in four days. Hippolyta is an outsider as she is Amazonian and for her to be accepted in the Athenian society it was better for her to be married, but she does not necessarily reveal whether she is truly in love with Theseus. Hippolyta was previously powerful and in the discussion about Egeus and Hermia, Theseus indicates that girls are to listen to their fathers on whom to marry. However, as the ruler Theseus follows the law such as the case of enforcing marriage when fathers choose their daughters’ would be husbands. Despite Theseus and Hippolyta having antagonistic, their mature relationship and marriage represents fulfillment of their love. Before the wedding between Theseus and Hippolyta the two are fierce, but overtime become gentler souls, albeit with Hippolyta making sacrifice when she was no longer the queen of the Amazons.
Hippolyta is like the property of Theseus since she was kidnapped after war and Athenian men treated their women as their property, but she would grow fond of the duke. Additionally, Hippolyta may have sympathized with the plight of Hermia and may not have been cheerful about Hippolyta’s judgment on Hermia as he favored her fatherEgeus who did not of Hermiaand Lysander marrying. To Hippolyta who was independent before being betrothed to Theseus, in the patriarchal Athenian society she was unlikely to have much say. Female power is threatening, and Theseus tells his lover to cheer up, and yet the bride does not say much or paint the relationship as rosy and the groom states. Thus, there is likelihood that in future there will be concept between the two lovers.
There are doubts that the upcoming wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta will lead to a happy future as they judge other livers with skepticism. “More strange than true. I never may believe, These antique fables nor these fairy toys. Lovers and madmen have such seething brains”( 5.1.2-3) . Theseus is more doubtful that the four lovers who are Hermia, Helena, Lysander and Demetrius are telling the truth, and he seems them as merely emotional beings. This is likely because his views on dominance and submission influence his attitude and behavior towards his love and belief that in the future he will be the major decision maker (Rieger 71).
Theseus expresses his love to Hippolyta by mentioning combat proclaimed he loved her when in the battlefield where he was the eventual winner and this implies that he wants to be in control. “I woo'd thee with my sword, And won thy love doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key “ (1.1.17-18). In the power relations between the two, Hippolyta had more to lose if she did not listen to Theseus than the other way round. Theseus had triumphed and even treats like Hippolyta even and even as he used violence he believes that their marriage will be j...