It's all a matter of opinion really, but I would say yes. Hermia is deeply in love with Lysander and understandably wants to follow her heart. This isn't some adolescent infatuation; this is the real thing. Unfortunately, Hermia's father, Egeus, is dead set against the relationship and forbids his daughter from marrying Lysander, thinking him completely unsuitable. Instead, he wants Hermia to get hitched to Demetrius, whose professions of love are completely bogus.
The choice is really a simple one for Hermia. Either she can follow her heart and run off to the enchanted forest with the love of her life, or she can remain in Athens trapped under her father's thumb and prepare herself for a loveless marriage to someone who just wants to use her for his own nefarious ends. Under the circumstances, that's not really much of a choice at all. There are too many unhappy people in the world, and there's no reason whatsoever why Hermia should be one of them.
I personally believe Hermia is right to disobey her father's commands, as doing so constitutes a rebellion against oppressive patriarchal laws. In the world of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Athenian law maintains that fathers can choose their daughters' husbands and punish them harshly for disobeying their commands. Egeus, Hermia's father, wants his daughter to marry Demetrius, and refuses to understand she's actually in love with Lysander. By mandating his daughter marry who he wants her to marry, Egeus totally disregards Hermia's feelings and well-being. Indeed, Egeus treats Hermia as if she is property, as he believes he has the right to "give" her to any man he wants. This idea is clearly an example of an oppressive patriarchy at work, so Hermia's decision to disobey her father and follow her heart is clearly the right course of action.
No comments:
Post a Comment