Hermia faces dire choices when she appeals to Theseus to allow her to marry Lysander against her father's wishes. Theseus, upholding the patriarchal order, tells Hermia she must mold herself to her father's wishes and marry Demetrius whether she likes the idea or not. That Hermia is in love with Lysander and hopes to make a companionate marriage based on mutual esteem means nothing to Theseus at this point. He believes obeying the father is the most important consideration in a woman's marriage choice.

Therefore, Theseus tells Hermia that if she does not marry Demetrius, she will either face a lifetime shut up in a nunnery or the death penalty.

Hermia might have realized, had she thought about it, that Theseus, a ruler who is insisting the captured Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, marry him against her will, would expect Hermia to show the same obedience to a male authority figure.

Hermia, of course, deals with this by running away with Lysander. And later, Theseus repents of his harsh decision.