How Women Were Treated in Shakespeare

Theseus: defeated Hippolyta in battle and made her marry him

Tells Hermia to obey her father; believes women should be obedient to men
Hippolyta, I wood thee with my sword,/ And won thy love doing thee injuries; /
But I will wed thee in another key,/ With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling
(I. i. 16-19)
To you your father should be as a god;/ One that composd your beauties; yea,
and one/ To whom you are but as a form in wax,/ By him imprinted, and within his
power,/ To leave the figure, or disfigure it./ Demetrius is a worthy gentleman (I. i.
46-52).
Oberon: hurts Titania to get what he wants; makes her fall in love with a vile
donkey just to steal one of her attendants
Greedy, thinks women should give up their property if their husbands say so.
Do you amend it then; it lies in you./ Why should Titania cross her Oberon?/ I do
but beg a little changeling boy,/ To be my henchman (II. i. 118-121).

Demetrius: toys with women, breaking their hearts; pretends to love Helena but
scorns her after seeing Hermia; ridicules Helena despite her loyalty
Demetrius, Ill avouch it to his head,/ Made love to Nedars daughter, Helena,/
And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,/ Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,/
Upon this spotted and inconstant man(I. i. 106-110).
To Helena: Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit,/ For I am sick when I do
look on thee (II. i. 211-212).
Egeus: wants to be obeyed and threatens his daughter Hermia with death if she
doesnt marry the person he picked for her.
I beg the ancient privilege of Athens:/ As she is mine, I may dispose of her;/
Which shall be either to this gentleman,/ Or to her death, according to our law/
Immediately provided in that case (I. i. 41-45).
Bottom: orders them around, partially indifferent: Eg when he orders the fairies to
bring him things
Scratch my head, Peaseblossom. Wheres mounsieur Cobweb? (IV. i. 7).
Mounsieur Cobweb, good mounsieur, get you your weapons in your hand, and
kill me a red-hippd humble-bee on the top of a thistle; and, good mounsieur, bring
me the honey-bag. Do not fret yourself too much in the action, mounsieur; and,
good mounsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not, I would be loath to have you
overflowen with a honey-bag, signior. Wheres mounsieur Mustardseed? (IV. i.
9-13).
Lysander: respects women and their views: is polite and kind to Helena and
defends Hermia, treating her honorably as well as willing to run away for her.
A good persuasion; therefore hear me, Hermia:/ I have a widow aunt, a dowager,/
Of great revenue, and she hath no child./ From Athens is her house remote seven
leagues;/ And she respects me as her only son./ There, gentle Hermia, may I marry
thee;/ And to that place the sharp Athenian law/ Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest
me, then/ Steal forth thy fathers house tomorrow night;/ And in the wood, a league
without the town/ (Where I did meet thee once with Helena/ To do observance to a
morn of May),/ There will I stay for thee (I. i. 156-169).
Helena, adieu:/As you on him, Demetrius dote on you! (I. i. 225-226).