Helena

... it's going to be really useful.

Um, so the question is, um, how does Shakespeare portray the relationship between Demetrius and Helena at this point in the play? And it's Act 2, Scene 1.

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You know the drill.

Yeah

... divided up bit.

It's the whole bit between Helena and Demetrius here, and Oberon, and we've-

Speaks before and after

about that night.

The friendship between Helena and Hermia just really captured me anew.

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And just as that was percolating, I just happened to go and see a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Centennial Park in Sydney.

I think it was put on by the Australian Shakespeare Company.

And I don't know what it was about that night or just seeing it then, but the friendship between the two main or two of the main female characters, Helena and Hermia, just really captured me anew.

And I think that was for a few reasons.

And we have these four tangled young lovers.

Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena.

Right.

And because of the strict laws of Athens, they flee into the woods.

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.

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, and extort a poor soul's patience, all to make you sport.

End of O Spite! O Hell! From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act Three, Scene Two.

Act one, scene one by William Shakespeare.

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Call you me fair? That fair again unsay.

the other person had so there was just this like weird period of time where we both knew we were doing it but like neither one of us wanted to break the news just in case but yeah it was really really exciting really fun

yeah um I saw Sophie recently doing Helena in Midsummer Night's Dream and um I saw you doing Hermia in the bridge production of that as well.

Did you talk to each other about that as well? And of course, you know, Romeo was playing Hermia in that production too.

So did you like talk about doing this play at all as well? Did you share like experiences?

I will put some of the juice of that flower on my Titania's eyes, and when she wakes, she will love the first thing she sees, were it lion, bear, or wolf, or bull, or meddling monkey, or a busy ape.

While Puck was gone, Demetrius passed through the glade followed by poor Helena and still she told him how she loved him and reminded him of all his promises and still he told her that he did not and could not love her and that his promises were nothing.

Oberon was sorry for poor Helena and when Puck returned with the flower he bade him follow Demetrius and put some of the juice on his eyes so that he might love Helena when he awoke and looked on her as much as she loved him.

So Puck set off, and wandering through the wood found not Demetrius, but Lysander, on whose eyes he put the juice.

But when Lysander woke, he saw not his own Hermia, but Helena, who was walking through the wood, looking for the cruel Demetrius.

And directly he saw her, he loved her, and left his own lady under the spell of the crimson flower.

When Hermia woke she found Lysander gone and wandered about the wood trying to find him.

Puck went back and told Oberon what he had done and Oberon soon found that he had made a mistake and set about looking for Demetrius and having found him put some other juice on his eyes.

Hermia, daughter to Aegeus, in love with Lysander, read by Laurie Ann Walden.

Helena,

in love with Demetrius, read by Rosalind Wills of Silver Spring, Maryland.

The Part of Oberon, read by Father Ziley.

O, that my prayers could such affection move! The more I hate, the more he follows me.

The more I love, the more he hateth me.

His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine.

None but your beauty, would that fault were mine.

Hermia, daughter to Aegeus, in love with Lysander, read by Laurie Ann Walden.

Helena, in

love with Demetrius, read by Rosalind Wills of Silver Spring, Maryland.

The Part of Oberon, read by Father Ziley.

morn of may there will i stay for thee My good Lysander, I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow, By his best arrow with the golden head, By the simplicity of Venus' doves, By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves, And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen When the false Trojan under sail was seen, By all the vows that ever men have broke, And number more than ever women spoke, In that same place thou hast appointed me, Tomorrow, truly, will I meet with thee.

Keep promise, love.

Look, here comes Helena.

Enter Helena.