HELENA         Injurious Hermia, most ungrateful maid, Have you conspired, have you with these contrived To bait me with this foul derision? Is all the counsel that we two have shared, The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent, When we have chid the hasty-footed time For parting us – O, is all forgot? All schooldays’ friendship, childhood innocence? (3.2.195-202) Helena is really winding herself up, […]

LYSANDER     Why seek’st thou me? Could not this make thee know, The hate I bare thee made me leave thee so? HERMIA         You speak not as you think. It cannot be. HELENA         Lo, she is one of this confederacy. Now I perceive, they have conjoined all three To fashion this false sport in spite of me. (3.2.189-194) Lysander’s really […]

HERMIA         Dark night, that from the eye his function takes, The ear more quick of apprehension makes; Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense, It pays the hearing double recompense. Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found; Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound. But why, unkindly, didst thou leave me so? LYSANDER     Why should he stay, whom […]

DEMETRIUS   Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none. If e’er I loved her, all that love is gone. My heart to her but as guestwise sojourned, And now to Helen is it home returned, There to remain. LYSANDER                 Helen, it is not so. DEMETRIUS   Disparage not the faith thou dost not know, Lest, to thy peril, thou abye it dear. Look where thy love comes: yonder […]

LYSANDER     You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so, For you love Hermia: this you know I know. And here with all good will, with all my heart, In Hermia’s love I yield you up my part; And yours of Helena to me bequeath, Whom I do love, and will do till my death. HELENA         Never did mockers waste more idle breath.           (3.2.162-8) Even […]

HELENA         You both are rivals and love Hermia, And now both rivals to mock Helena. A trim exploit, a manly enterprise, To conjure tears up in a poor maid’s eyes With your derision! None of noble sort Would so offend a virgin, and extort A poor soul’s patience, all to make you sport.        (3.2.155-161) Helena spells it out, with particular emphasis […]

HELENA         O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent To set against me for your merriment. If you were civil and knew courtesy, You would not do me thus much injury. Can you not hate me, as I know you do, But you must join in souls to mock me too? If you were men, as men you are in show, You would […]

DEMETRIUS   (Wakes.) O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine, To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne? Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow! That pure congealed white, high Taurus’ snow, Fanned with the eastern wind, turns to a crow When thou hold’st up thy hand. O let me kiss This impress of pure white, this seal of bliss!         (3.2.127-144) Lysander and Helena […]

HELENA         You do advance your cunning more and more. When truth kills truth, O devilish holy fray! These vows are Hermia’s: will you give her o’er? Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh. Your vows to her and me, put in two scales, Will even weigh, and both as light as tales. LYSANDER     I had no judgement when to her […]

OBERON         Stand aside. The noise they make Will cause Demetrius to awake. PUCK  Then will two at once woo one: That must needs be sport alone. And those things do best please me That befall preposterously. Enter LYSANDER and HELENA. LYSANDER     Why should you think that I should woo in scorn? Scorn and derision never come in tears. Look when I vow, I weep; and vows […]