Egeus

"As she is mine, I may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentleman, or to her death."

- Egeus saying he will have Hermia executed if she doesn't marry Demetrius.

Egeus is the main antagonist of the 1596 Shakespeare comedy play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is the exceedingly cruel father of the play's protagonist, Hermia, who wants her to marry a man named Demetrius instead of another named Lysander (whom she loves), and who will have her executed if she defies him.

History
Egeus is first scene before the Duke of Athens, Theseus, having brought both his daughter Hermia, Demetrius, who he wants her to marry and Lysander, her actual love. He speaks out against Lysander to the duke, saying that the young man has made his daughter stubborn and disobedient, by stealing her heart through trifling trinkets and songs. He raises the point that per Athenian law, he can have Hermia put to death if she persists in her defiance, since she is his daughter and thereby his "property".

Theseus, a calmer man, suggests to Hermia that she heed her father's orders, but also offers her another way out if she truly wishes to say no to Egeus's demand, which is to become a nun and spend the rest of her days in celibacy. Hermia is given four days to mull her choices over. Hermia chooses to elope in secret with Lysander. They share this with their mutual friend Helena, who in turn betrays this to Demetrius, since she was once his partner and wishes to win back his love. Demetrius starts after the two (dogged by Helena) planning to legitimately win Hermia's love.

Over the course of the play, the four young Athenians lose themselves in a whimsical forest, and fall prey to topsy-turvy lovespells, owing to the embittered fairy King of the Faries, Oberon, and his mischevious crony, Robin "Puck" Goodfellow. In short, after much confusion, Demetrius falls back in love with Helena and loses interest in Hermia, thus resolving any conflict or overlapping desires.

After many a spell, while hunting, Theseus, his fiancé Hippolyta Egeus stumble into the four sleeping peacefully cheek by jowl. Theseus wonders how they can co-exist like so, knowing about their previous strained relations and Demetrius and Lysander's vying for Hermia's love. Lysander explains he and Hermia's plan to get married in secret, and Demetrius proudly proclaims his re-discovered love for Helena. While Theseus is elated to hear this, Egeus snaps, demanding both Hermia and Lysander be punished on pain of death. He is shut down by the Duke, however, and it is declared that these two couples, along with Theseus and Hippolyta will all get married by the evening.

Personality
Egeus is an incredibly commanding father, who judges Hermia to be nothing but his property to be killed if she doesn't abide by his demands. In a way he can be seen as an infinitely more sinister Lord Capulet, as they both violently force their daughters into an arranged marriage. Ultimately however, Egeus falls silent when overriden by Theseus, showing that he does consider himself much beneath him.

Trivia

 * Despite being the main antagonist, Egeus only appears in two scenes in the entire play (Act I-I & Act IV-I), and speaks all of seven lines.
 * This makes him the most minor of all Shakespeare main villains appearance-wise, though his impact on the story is vital.