Analysis of Mariage in A midsummer Nights Dream, Measure for Measure, and Richard III

Compare the purpose of marriage in A midsummer Nights Dream, Measure for Measure, and Richard III; what does marriage reveal about early modern perspectives on social status and gender roles? Which marriages take place to enhance someone’s political power and which ones occur because of romantic love? When is marriage bestowed as a reward and when is it a punishment? For example, you might compare Richard’s seduction of Lady Anne with Theseus’s capture of Hippolyta and then Duke Vicentio’s proposal to Isabella. Are these women empowered or weakened by these marriages? Explain your answers and analyze their significance.