In the context of this excerpt from “civil disobedience” by henry thoreau, what does the word posterity mean?

Item 7 shakespeare often puts the audience in a situation where they know more than one of the characters does. how does shakespeare increase the tension in the four-lovers story line by giving the audience information that one or more of the characters does not have? the audience knows that hermia’s father really approves of lysander and there is no need for hermia and lysander to run away. this knowledge builds tension because the audience wonders if hermia and lysander’s relationship will survive a night in the woods. the audience knows that helena really hates hermia and wants to hurt her. this knowledge builds tension when helena tells demetrius of hermia’s plan to run away because the audience wonders if hermia will be caught and punished. the audience knows that lysander and demetrius are under the spell, but helena and hermia do not. this knowledge builds tension and makes the audience eager to see what will happen next. the audience knows that oberon is observing the lovers, but the lovers do not know. this knowledge builds tension because oberon falls in love with helena and decides to become a human so he can marry her.