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Theseus and Hippolyta “A Midnight Summer's Dream”

Aim - Chase Charles Theseus and Hippolyta are married, they are in the play “A Midnight Summer’s Dream” and are the married couple. Theseus went on an expedition with Heracles and he encountered Hippolyta. Theseus was taken to Athens to marry Hippolyta who was the first amazon to be married. Theseus and Hippolyta appeared in the beginning and the end of the play. Shakespeare uses Theseus and Hippolyta as a symbol to represent order and stability. An author of a website states, “Whereas an important element of the dream realm is that one is not in control of one’s environment, Theseus and Hippolyta are always entirely in control of theirs” (Shmoop). This means that Theseus can control his dreams in the dream-world and others cannot.



Audience - Jacob Ahuero In Greek Mythology after slaying a Minotaur Theseus wants to return and marry a queen. In A Midnight Summers dream it takes place in Athens Duke. The targeted audience for the story is for people that are focused on Greek mythology. In the story its about how a father that has his daughter and he makes her marry a man, but in the text it says that “Lysander has managed to steal his daughter's heart” (Shmoop 2). By stealing her heart it makes the women fall in love with him. With Theseus and Hippolyta, Theseus asks her to marry him, and he tells her that she can be queen of Athens. They both are attracted, the stories are both romantic and dramatic, the audience is for young lovers, and married couples.



Historical - Kyle Lorenz In greek mythology Hippolyta was the Amazonian queen. In Shakespeare’s, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hippolyta is engaged to a man named Theseus who was the duke of athens. Hippolyta was the daughter of Ares. Ares gave her girdle, or a belt to display her duty as queen. Greek Mythology stated, “When they arrived on the island they were warmly welcomed”(Greek Mythology). Theseus and Hippolyta were killed soon after their wedding.



Cultural - Miguel Cano Hippolyta is a Amazon queen. She was also married to Theseus. It is stated “When A Midsummer Night's Dream opens, she's no longer the warrior woman she used to be because she's already been conquered by Theseus, who happily reminds her "I wooed thee with my sword, / And won thy love doing thee injuries" (1.1.2). As far as we can tell, Shakespeare's Hippolyta doesn't mind being a literal trophy wife” (Shmoop Editorial Team). The husband, Theseus, considers his wife a trophy wife; meaning he with with he for her looks. She is reminded and put in her place, so she is aware of her position. It was said “At the wedding of Pirithous,to which Theseus had an attractive wife. He also had a friend by the name of Hurcules. “Theseus and Heracles were invited,a number of horsemen present were angry with the shining beauty of the bride” (Theseus, Greek Mythology, Greek Culture). Being invited to wedding they had gotten upset. The wife was drop dead gorgeous woman, they were acting like kids.



Works Cited Shmoop Editorial Team. "Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream."Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 06 May 2014.

"Theseus, Greek Mythology, Greek Culture." Theseus, Greek Mythology, Greek Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014.

"Planetary Symbolism and Medieval Literature by Joseph Crane." Planetary Symbolism and Medieval Literature by Joseph Crane. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "A Midsummer Night's Dream Summary."Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 06 May 2014.