To You Your Father Should Be as a God

To you your father should be as a god. Comment.

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1 Scene 1 depicts the scene taking place in ancient Athens, where “the sharp Athenian Law” states that girls are restricted in the way that they are “but as a form in wax”. On the other hand, their fathers are portrayed as gods. Hence, Theseus suggests to Hermia to “be advised” that “to [her], [her] father should be as a god. Due to Lysander “[turning Hermia’s] obedience”, Egeus is furious. Theseus gently explains her father anger to her. However, Hermia refuses to relent.

Egeus enters the room in the Palace of Theseus, “full of vexation”, “with complaint” against his daughter Hermia. He is angered that Hermia would not “consent to marry with Demetrius”. He also believes that Lysander “hath bewitched the bosom of [his] child”, and with the “cunning hast thou filched [his] daughter’s heart, turned her obedience, which is due to [him], to stubborn harshness.” Egeus strongly believes in “the ancient privilege of Athens”, and that is to allow him to “dispose of her” as he wishes. This is in parallel of what Lord Capulet advised Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, when he told her that she had to marry Paris: “An you be mine, I give you to my friend. An you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets.” Egeus’ stubbornness to give in gives Hermia only two options to choose from, “which shall be either to [Demetrius] or to her death, according to [their] law.” This shows that Egeus is willing to let Hermia die without marrying Demetrius than see her marry somebody else. This shows Egeus extreme reaction to Hermia’s defiance, and that he really feels that to Hermia, he should be a god.

When Hermia does not “consent to marry with Demetrius”, the “ancient privilege of Athens” states that she must die. However, Theseus understands Hermia’s plight, and thus is decides to be compassionate towards her. He gives Hermia a third option for her to consider, which is to “abjure for ever the society...