Male Magic: A Midsummer Night's Dream | Male Magic: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Male Magic: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Irene Dash, Hunter College of the City University of New York
And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes,
And make her full of hateful fantasies.
II.i.257-58
Whether in the fantasy world of the forest or the equally fantastic world of Athens on a midsummer night, this play reveals how power, particularly political power, impinges on and shapes women's lives. Ranging from queens—Hippolyta, a character taken from mythology, and Titania, belonging to the fairy world—to youthful Athenian maidens in love, to a parodic heroine in an entertainment for the Duke's guests, these characters illustrate women's varied reactions to the imposition of power. One seems to adjust; one discovers new facts about herself; one serves as a lens for looking at the larger world; and one significantly reveals the tragic dimensions of the loss of power. Least mortal and yet...
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