“The More You Beat Me, I Will Fawn On You”: Depictions of Female Masochism in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Abstract

The topic of this thesis is the depiction of female masochism and female agency in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and how it is portrayed through Helena’s character. Helena has traditionally been viewed as a submissive figure in her society, limited by the patriarchal restrictions in place. However, this thesis argues that she consciously embraces sexual masochism instead of being forced to submit, and that she finds pleasure in the sometimes harsh way Demetrius treats her and her pursuit of him. By analysing the ways Helena articulates her preferences for pain and suffering, this study challenges the conventional interpretations of submission and presents Helena’s masochistic tendencies as a product of her own will and simultaneously as an act of resistance against the norms of Elizabethan England. This thesis utilizes a total of three theories: Orli Dahan’s psychophysiological theories of masochism in examining masochistic pleasure as related to female physiology and childbirth, Helene Cixous’ Ecriture Feminine where the fluidity and complexity of feminine experience and feminine representation are emphasized, and Melissa E. Sanchez’s version of Queer Theory. These theories help in showcasing her empowerment through the active pursuit of masochism. The research questions are as follows: 1. How does Helena in Shakespeare’s MND portray masochistic tendencies? 2. To how great a degree can the submissive behaviours of Helena be interpreted as being expressive of her sexual agency? 3.What role does the context of patriarchal Elizabethan society play in the representation of female masochism? 4. In what ways does the utilization of biological, psychophysical, and feminist theories add to our understanding of the sexual undertones and female submission in Shakespeare’s narratives? The key arguments of the thesis are that Helena consciously embraces her masochistic tendencies and showcases her preferences openly, and that the play subverts patriarchal stereotypes of female passivity and purity by presenting her submissiveness and devotion as expressions of desire and female agency.