Midsummer Night's Dream Helena

Why, get you gone! Who is't that hinders you?

A foolish heart that I leave here behind.

God speed fair Helena! Whither away?

Call you me fair? That fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair! Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, The rest I'd give to you to be translated. O, teach me how you look, and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart!

Lower, hark again.

Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me. I evermore did love you, Hermia, did ever keep your counsels, never wronged you; save that, in love unto Demetrius, I told him of your steath unto this wood. He followed you; for love I followed him; but he hath chide me hence, and threatened me to strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too; and now, so you will let me quiet go, to Athens I will bear my folly bock, and follow you no further. Let me go. You see how simple and how fond I am.

I scorn you not; it seems that you scorn me.

Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn, to follow me and praise my eyes and face? And made your other love, Demetrius, who even but now did spurn me with his foot, to call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare, and tender me, forsooth, affection, but by your setting on, by your consent?

Nay, go not back.

I will not trust you, I; nor longer stay in your company. Your hands are quicker than mine for a fray; but my legs are longer though, to run away.

But I shall do thee mischeif in the wood.

I'll follow thee. and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I love so well.

My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena!

O excellent!

Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!

O spite! I see you are all 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 not use a gentle lady so: to vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, when I am sure you hate me with your hearts.

And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts.

The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will; the story shall be changed:

Not Hermia but Helena I love;

Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man, that I never did, no, nor never can deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye, but you must flout my insufficiency? Good troth you do me wrong, good sooth, you do, in such disdainful manner me to woo. But fare you well; perforce I must confess I thought you a man of more true gentleness. O, that a lady of one man refused should of another therefore be abused!

What! With Lysander?

With Demetrius.

Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

You draw me you hard-hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart is true as steel. Leave you your power to draw and I shall have no power to follow you.

Tell you I do not nor I cannot love you?

And even for that I do love you the more.

For I am sick when I do look on thee.

And I am sick when I look not on you.

I understand not what you mean by this.

Ay, do, perservere, counterfeit said looks, make mouths upon me when I turn my back, wink each at other; hold the sweet jest up.

Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word is that vile name to perish on my sword!

Do not say so, Lysander, say not so. What though he love your Hermia? What though? Yet Hermia still loves you; then be content.

And stolen my loves heart from him?

Fine, i' faith! Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, no touch of bashfulness? What! Will you tear impatient answers from my gentle tongue? Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet you!

Helena, adieu; As you on him, Demetrius dote on you.

How happy some o'er some other can be! Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so; I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight; then to the wood will he tomorrow night pursue her; and for this intelligence, if I have thanks, it is a dear expense.

But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

I pray you, though you mock me gentlement, let not her hurt me, let her not strike me. You perhaps may think because she is something lower than myself, that I can match her.

You speak not as you think; it cannot be.

Lo, she is one of this confederacy! Now I perceive they have conjoined all three to fashion this false sport, in spite of me. Injurious Hermia! Most ungrateful maid! Have you conspired, have you with these contrived?

And yours of Helena to me bequeath, whom I do love and will do till my death.

Never did mockers waste more idle breath.

I had no judgement when to her I swore.

Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o'er.

By days approach look to be visited.

O weary night, O long and tedious night, abate thy hours! Shine forth comforts from the east, that I may back to athens by daylight, form these that my poor company destest. And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye, steal me awhile from mine own company.

Stay on thy peril; I alone will go.

O, I am out of breath in this fond chase! The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace...But who is here? Lysander! On the ground! Dead, or asleep? I see no blood, no wound. Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.

No, sir, she shall not, though you take her part.

O, when she is angry, she is keen and shrewd; she was a vixen when she went to school; and, though she be but little, she is fierce.

I charge the, hence, and do not haunt me thus.

O, wilt thouh darkling leave me? Do not so.

For I must now to Oberon.

Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius!

Do you not jest?

Yes, sooth; and so do you.