Recognizing Power And Relationship Between Shakespeare s...

Recognizing Power and Relationship Dynamics Through Simile In Shakespeare William Shakespeare’s use of simile in A Midsummer Night’s Dream explicitly expressed hierarchy, power, and male dominance, which all contributes to shaping the relationships between many of his characters. This theme is echoed throughout the play as Shakespeare demonstrates the differences between male and female characters. In the opening scene, Hermia refuses to follow her father’s orders to marry Demetrius and instead, demands to stay with Lysander. To act on the situation, Egeus appeals to the duke, Theseus, to force his daughter to marry Demetrius. Turning to Hermia, Theseus then tells her: What say you, Hermia? Be advised fair maid. 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. Demetrius is a worthy gentleman. (Shakespeare 1.1.46-52) The simile being observed here compares Egeus, the father of Hermia, to a god. In this sense, a god is a very strong figure. The play is set in Athenian times when Greek gods were heavily portrayed, so this reference holds supremacy in its meaning. Shakespeare’s utilization of simile not only presents the problem at hand, but also works to outline an underlying theme of power while revealing how the characters seem to view each other. The use of simile early on in the play successfully shapes how influentialShow MoreRelated A Cubist Perspective of Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream2475 Words   |  10 PagesA Cubist Perspective of Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The great cycle of the ages is renewed. Now Justice returns, returns the Golden Age; a new generation now descends from on high. - Virgil, Eclogues 1.5    As Virgil stated so many years ago, history is a cyclical phenomenon. The experiences of one age tend to be repeated in future generations. Knowing that, we should not be surprised to find the seeds of modern styles and philosophies sprouting in earlierRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore