There is other aspects of control in the play but from different sides of society and not necessarily over females, this is shown when the mechanicals have to escape the city and Peter Quince says:
“But masters, here are your parts, and I am to entreat, request
you, and desire to con them by tomorrow night;
and meet me in the place wood, a mile without the
town, by moonlight; there we will rehearse , for if
we meet in the city we will be dogged with company”
This shows that the mechanicals feel controlled and restricted by the city and feel unable to explore their artistic and more feminine side within the the boundaries and restrictions of the city. The mechanicals can not show this side of themselves while in the city of Athens because females were oppressed and showing a feminine side would go against the rules of men being higher than women and seen as completely different species. This means they plan to escape to the woods and have to enter the subconscious world in order to explore their subconscious, hidden and more feminine side. This shows that the lower, less educated classes are dominated by the higher, rich side of society and need to leave this behind in order to practice. This shows the audience the mechanicals have a small role in society and highly controlled as was normal in this period.
Later on in the play when Lysander and Hermia escape to the woods closely followed by Helena and Demetrius, Helena starts to follow Demetrius to try and gain his favour and eventually his love. Demetrius tries to shoo Helena and shows the lack of rules in the woods when he says:
“You do impeach your modesty too much,
To leave the city and commit yourself
Into the hands of one that loves you not;
To trust the opportunity of night,
And the ill counsel of this desert place,
With the rich worth of your virginity.”
This displays that the removal of rules and regulations in society is not always a good thing, although there would be freedom and no oppression, all protection would disappear because of the lack of rules. Although the the couple are in the woods without the regulations of the city roles have not completely reversed as Demetrius is still completely dominant, this is shown when he threatens Helena with rape and commands her to leave his company. Helena has, as she entered the wood, become emotionally overpowered and has taken leave of all of her usual senses and composure. This shows that in the woods, normal human nature has been changed and emotion has taken over. Demetrius describes Helena's virginity as 'rich', this shows that virginity was important at the time as women were seen as pure when going into marriage, this also means that Helena is seen as a possession and owned by men. When Demetrius says that Helena has commit herself into his hands this is showing that women were seen as fragile and things that must be protected by men who were seen as the stronger sex.
As the play progresses and moves out of he woods and toward the city the lovers find themselves between the city and the woods, which represents being between conciousness and subconscious. The love spells that were cast earlier in the play have been removed and all the previous chaos that took place seems a blur to the lovers, this confusion is shown when Lysander, after being asked why they are out of the city by Duke Theseus says:
“
My lord, I shall reply amazedly,
Half sleep, half waking; but as yet, I swear,
I cannot truly say how I came here”
This shows that being between the woods and the city or conciousness and subconscious has a physical and mental effect on the four lovers as they cannot recall the past few hours and fell into a deep sleep. The lovers are also unsure whether they are fully awake because the magical, chaotic effects of the woods have not completely worn off but yet the rules, regulations and routines of the city have not fully kicked in. The couples are still confused as to their whereabouts as they have just woken from sleeping. This awakening symbolises the movement from the subconsciousness into the waking conciousness world in the city of Athens and back into the bounded life in the city where social hierarchy places everybody. The usual order of things are not completely restored as the usual rivals, Demetrius and Lysander are now agreeable and not arguing as was usual before the ordeal in the woods. Although the hierarchy is shown as reinstated when Lysander addresses Thesues as 'My lord' showing that Lysander is again placed into the ladder of importance and is recognised as subordinate to the Duke.
When the lovers move back towards the city of Athens, order is again restored , everyone has taken back their role in structured society and all spells and chaos from the woods has disappeared. The order and rules are shown when Philostrate advises Theseus not to watch the mechanicals play and Theseus replies to his advice with:
“I will hear that play;
For never anything can be amiss
When simpleness and duty tender it.
Go on bring them in; and take your places, ladies.”
This shows that the Duke is higher and much more powerful than Philostrate and can overpower his advice as Philostrate is seen as subordinate. Theseus tells the women to 'Take their places', this could mean take your places in society now that order is restored and women are lower than men. This shows order has been completely restored. The fact that Theseus has chosen to hear the mechanicals play shows that he is a loyal duke and likes to accept the little gifts that his people can afford to give him. This was unusual for highly powered people of this period as they usually only mix with people inside their own classes and prefer material gifts instead.
In conclusion has shown that women were doubly oppressed, they were oppressed in the home and in the city. We see this when Theseus is dominating Hippolyta before their wedding and sees her as a trophy of war. The oppression is not only inflicted on women, it is also cast upon the lower classes such as the mechanicals, we see this when they have to escape to the woods to get away from this. The subconscious world is symbolically explored by the woods when the lovers have to venture into the woods but are overpowered by love, passion and acrimony. The time spent between the two worlds is also an exploration of the subconscious human mind and the difference between the transferral between the two worlds, this is represented when the lovers wake from a sleep which is symbolising the journey they take between the two worlds and the fact that they find themselves between the woods and Athens also shows this. At the end we see the order and rule being restored and everything returning back to normal after the chaos that was induced by the removal of rules, we see this throughout many different aspects whether it Theseus overruling or women again being oppressed.