The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: Illustrated edition (37 plays, 160 sonnets and 5 Poetry Books With Active Table of Contents). William Shakespeare
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Hel.
Lo! she is one of this confederacy.
Now I perceive, they have conjoin’d all three
To fashion this false sport, in spite of me.
Injurious Hermia, most ungrateful maid!
Have you conspir’d, have you with these contriv’d
To bait me with this foul derision?
Is all the counsel that we two have shar’d,
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 school-days friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,
Have with our needles created both one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key,
As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition,
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
So with two seeming bodies, but one heart,
Two of the first, [like] coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one crest.
And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, ’tis not maidenly.
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it,
Though I alone do feel the injury.
Her.
I am amazed at your [passionate] words.
I scorn you not; it seems that you scorn me.
Hel.
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,
Precious, celestial? Wherefore speaks he this
To her he hates? And wherefore doth Lysander
Deny your love (so rich within his soul)
And tender me (forsooth) affection,
But by your setting on, by your consent?
What though I be not so in grace as you,
So hung upon with love, so fortunate
(But miserable most, to love unlov’d)?
This you should pity rather than despise.
Her.
I understand not what you mean by this.
Hel.
Ay, do! persever, counterfeit sad looks,
Make mouths upon me when I turn my back,
Wink each at other, hold the sweet jest up;
This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled.
If you have any pity, grace, or manners,
You would not make me such an argument.
But fare ye well; ’tis partly my own fault,
Which death, or absence, soon shall remedy.
Lys.
Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse,
My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena!
Hel.
O excellent!
Her.
Sweet, do not scorn her so.
Dem.
If she cannot entreat, I can compel.
Lys.
Thou canst compel no more than she entreat.
Thy threats have no more strength than her weak [prays].
Helen, I love thee, by my life I do!
I swear by that which I will lose for thee,
To prove him false that says I love thee not.
Dem.
I say I love thee more than he can do.
Lys.
If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.
Dem.
Quick, come!
Her.
Lysander, whereto tends all this?
Lys.
Away, you Ethiop!
Dem.
No, no; he’ll
Seem to break loose—take on as you would follow,
But yet come not. You are a tame man, go!
Lys.
Hang off, thou cat, thou bur! Vile thing, let loose;
Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent!
Her.
Why are you grown so rude? What change is this,
Sweet love?
Lys.
Thy love? Out, tawny Tartar, out!
Out, loathed med’cine! O hated potion, hence!
Her.
Do you not jest?
Hel.
Yes, sooth; and so do you.
Lys.
Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee.
Dem.
I would I had your bond, for I perceive
A weak bond holds you. I’ll not trust your word.
Lys.
What? should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead?
Although I hate her, I’ll not harm her so.
Her.
What? can you do me greater harm than hate?
Hate me, wherefore? O me, what news, my love!
Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lysander?
I am as fair now as I was erewhile.
Since night you lov’d me; yet since night you left me:
Why then, you left me (O,