Monday, November 17, 2008

Soliloquy MSND

Mid Summer Night's Dream  Act 3 Scene 2

HELENA
Lo, she is one of this confederacy!   - Hermia is one of this alliance of people
Now I perceive they have conjoin'd all three  - Now she understands that all of them are together
To fashion this false sport, in spite of me. - To play a game on her
Injurious Hermia! most ungrateful maid! - Bad Hermia! Bad!
Have you conspired, have you with these contrived - Have you really gone in with them on this charade?
To bait me with this foul derision? - To get me upset with this conspiracy?
Is all the counsel that we two have shared, - After all we have confided in each
The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent, - The sisterly bond we have and all the time we've been together
When we have chid the hasty-footed time - We were babies together
For parting us,--O, is it all forgot? - Have you forgotten that
All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence? - We were childhood friends
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods, - We are godlike...I really don't know what this is trying to say
Have with our needles created both one flower, - We stitched together!
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion, - We cross stitched together AND sat on the same pillow doing it!
Both warbling of one song, both in one key, - We sang the same song together
As if our hands, our sides, voices and minds, - We were BFFs!
Had been incorporate. So we grow together, - We grew up together and were still really close
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted, - Our roots are the same and they remained the same as we grew older
But yet an union in partition; - We were together although we parted
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem; - We are conjoined twins
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart; - We are soul mates
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry, - We wore the same coat of armor
Due but to one and crowned with one crest. - We were born of the same father to inherit the family crest
And will you rent our ancient love asunder, - You will compromise our old friendship and bond
To join with men in scorning your poor friend? - by joining up with these guys and being mean to me
It is not friendly, 'tis not maidenly: It isn't nice. It's not lady like.
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it, - Other women would think so too and tell you about it.
Though I alone do feel the injury. - but I'll suffer alone.

Helena thinks that Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius are playing a prank on her. She thinks this because all of the sudden Lysander and Demetrius are proclaiming their love for her and doting on her when they have never given her that attention before. I think it's funny, because she automatically thinks it is a cruel joke when two men give her affection. In addition to that, she thinks that Hermia would betray her after their life long friendship. That's ironic, because Helena betrayed Hermia to Demetrius to get his affection.

3 comments:

Shannon said...

Great line by line explication of the speech. I love this complicated pinnacle in the play. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us today.

katie's Blog said...

I enjoyed reading your interpretation of the lines:)

Anonymous said...

Nice analysis of the play. I thought that Helena's reaction to the two "lovers" was comical too...it was pretty sad how little self confidence she had.