Social setting
Patriarchal society
At the beginning of the play, Egeus invokes the ancient law to have Hermia killed if she disobeys him. Theseus agrees, and warns Hermia that she owes her life to her father:
To you your father should be as a god,
One that composed your beauties, yea, and one
To whom you are but as a form in wax,
By him imprinted and within his power
To leave the figure, or disfigure it. (1.1.47-51).
This suggests that Egeus is entitled to decide Hermia’s fate, just because he is her father. She owes full and unquestionable obedience to him, like to a divine entity. He is both her creator and her executioner. His power over her is absolute.
It is worth noting that Hermia chooses to rebel against this authority. She wants to run away from Athens, where the ancient law of this patriarchal society will no longer reach her. Hippolyta is also likely unsettled by Theseus’ decision regarding Hermia in Act 1, because she comes from a society of Amazons, where women are the supreme rulers.
It is not only the human world which is subjected to patriarchal laws, but also the world of the fairies. Oberon commands Titania, even though she is also a Queen: “Tarry, rash wanton. Am I not thy lord?” (2.1.63). This implies that he has power over her because he is her husband.
Oberon also believes that Titania must obey him in giving up the Indian boy to him, and she deserves to be punished for not giving in to his demands. At the end, after he lifts her enchantment, Titania does not object to what he put her through, which can be interpreted to mean that she is resigned to it.
