Egeus
Encyclopedia
Egeus is a character in A Midsummer Night's Dream
, the comedy
by William Shakespeare
. He tries to keep his daughter, Hermia, from marrying Lysander, by force if necessary. In original performances, the actor for his role probably played the part of Philostrate
as well.
who disapproves of Hermia's and Lysander
's mutual love, and appeals to Theseus
to force Hermia to marry Demetrius
. If Hermia refuses to wed Demetrius, she could be put to death under Athenian law.
. He goes so far as to say that if she disobeys, he as a father has a right to kill her, or to force her into a convent
as a nun for life. Hermia embodies the opposition to the law and reason of her father. She follows her feelings and imagination regarding Lysander, rather than strictly adhering to reason. Theseus constantly discusses this conflict of reason and imagination in the play, saying that while they are often in opposition, one actually causes the other, often.
Gender studies
critics see homoerotic tendencies in Egeus when it comes to Demetrius. Egeus is very insistent that his daughter marry Demetrius, despite her own feelings. At one point, Lysander, her true lover, Demetrius, and Egeus make some interesting statements:
"Demetrius: Relent, sweet Hermia: and, Lysander, yield
Thy crazed title to my certain right.
Lysander: You have her father's love, Demetrius;
Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him.
Egeus: Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love,
And what is mine my love shall render him.
And she is mine, and all my right of her
I do estate unto Demetrius."
Gender critics argue that Egeus and Demetrius are in love, and that they are attempting to subvert or overcome the heterosocial society around them by forcing Hermia's marriage. In the end, however, the prevailing society surrounding them succeeds, and their attempt is largely ignored.
were probably one and the same. This can be gathered through discrepancies between the First Folio
and earlier quarto
versions of the play. In Act V, scene 1, for example, the quartos say "Call Philostrate", while the 1623 Folio says "Call Egeus". One actor filling both roles also explains some of the jumbled dialogue in this scene, as it was probably the result of confusion over the role the actor was playing at the time. Furness interprets this a little differently, saying that Shakespeare may not have originally intended both roles to be played by the same person, but that directors combined the roles to save money. Act V, scene 1 is the only scene in which both men are present at the same time. Philostrate, as the less-important one, would thus probably have been stricken out, while Egeus would have filled both roles. This change in staging would reveal an alteration from Shakespeare's original text.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
, the comedy
Shakespearean comedy
In the First Folio, the plays of William Shakespeare were grouped into three categories: comedies, histories, and tragedies."Comedy", in its Elizabethan usage, had a very different meaning from modern comedy...
by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. He tries to keep his daughter, Hermia, from marrying Lysander, by force if necessary. In original performances, the actor for his role probably played the part of Philostrate
Philostrate
Philostrate is the Master of Revels at Theseus' court in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream . He is in charge of his lord's entertainments, making recommendations to Theseus, as well as altering the text of some of the plays performed in his court. Shakespeare may have used this...
as well.
Role in the play
Appearing in Act I, Scene 1 and Act IV, Scene 1, Egeus is the father of HermiaHermia
Hermia is a science park near Tampere University of Technology . Hermia is located in Hervanta, a suburb of Tampere, Finland. Hermia is also acting as a technology centre for its region....
who disapproves of Hermia's and Lysander
Lysander (Shakespeare)
Lysander is one of the iconic lovers in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. A handsome young man of Athens, Lysander is in love with Hermia and plans to run away from her father with her to escape Athenian law and wed. But his plans are disrupted when Oberon decides to have some...
's mutual love, and appeals to Theseus
Theseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
to force Hermia to marry Demetrius
Demetrius
Demetrius, also spelled as Demetrios, Dimitrios, Demitri, and Dimitri , is a male given name.Demetrius and its variations may refer to the following:...
. If Hermia refuses to wed Demetrius, she could be put to death under Athenian law.
- I beg the ancient privilege of Athens,
- As she is mine, I may dispose of her:
- Which shall either be to this gentleman (DemetriusDemetriusDemetrius, also spelled as Demetrios, Dimitrios, Demitri, and Dimitri , is a male given name.Demetrius and its variations may refer to the following:...
) - Or to her death, according to our law
- Immediately provided in that case
Criticism
Egeus plays a key part in illustrating the play's theme of law versus love, and reason versus imagination. Constantly refusing his daughter's plea to marry the man she loves, Lysander, he demands that she be forced to marry DemetriusDemetrius
Demetrius, also spelled as Demetrios, Dimitrios, Demitri, and Dimitri , is a male given name.Demetrius and its variations may refer to the following:...
. He goes so far as to say that if she disobeys, he as a father has a right to kill her, or to force her into a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
as a nun for life. Hermia embodies the opposition to the law and reason of her father. She follows her feelings and imagination regarding Lysander, rather than strictly adhering to reason. Theseus constantly discusses this conflict of reason and imagination in the play, saying that while they are often in opposition, one actually causes the other, often.
Gender studies
Gender studies
Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which analyses race, ethnicity, sexuality and location.Gender study has many different forms. One view exposed by the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: "One is not born a woman, one becomes one"...
critics see homoerotic tendencies in Egeus when it comes to Demetrius. Egeus is very insistent that his daughter marry Demetrius, despite her own feelings. At one point, Lysander, her true lover, Demetrius, and Egeus make some interesting statements:
"Demetrius: Relent, sweet Hermia: and, Lysander, yield
Thy crazed title to my certain right.
Lysander: You have her father's love, Demetrius;
Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him.
Egeus: Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love,
And what is mine my love shall render him.
And she is mine, and all my right of her
I do estate unto Demetrius."
Gender critics argue that Egeus and Demetrius are in love, and that they are attempting to subvert or overcome the heterosocial society around them by forcing Hermia's marriage. In the end, however, the prevailing society surrounding them succeeds, and their attempt is largely ignored.
Performances
In original performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the actor for Egeus and PhilostratePhilostrate
Philostrate is the Master of Revels at Theseus' court in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream . He is in charge of his lord's entertainments, making recommendations to Theseus, as well as altering the text of some of the plays performed in his court. Shakespeare may have used this...
were probably one and the same. This can be gathered through discrepancies between the First Folio
First Folio
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
and earlier quarto
Quarto
Quarto could refer to:* Quarto, a size or format of a book in which four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper* For specific information about quarto texts of William Shakespeare's works, see:...
versions of the play. In Act V, scene 1, for example, the quartos say "Call Philostrate", while the 1623 Folio says "Call Egeus". One actor filling both roles also explains some of the jumbled dialogue in this scene, as it was probably the result of confusion over the role the actor was playing at the time. Furness interprets this a little differently, saying that Shakespeare may not have originally intended both roles to be played by the same person, but that directors combined the roles to save money. Act V, scene 1 is the only scene in which both men are present at the same time. Philostrate, as the less-important one, would thus probably have been stricken out, while Egeus would have filled both roles. This change in staging would reveal an alteration from Shakespeare's original text.