Shakespeare's Monologues
Shakespeare's Monologues
Hermia is in love with Lysander, however she is supposed to marry Demetrius. She believes love is powerful, and as a strong women herself, Lysander and she run to the forest to be wed in Athens. When Lysander seems to have fallen out of love with her she is willing to fight, and blames Helena who he now seems to love. Throughout the show she is bold and stands for what she believes is right and true.
Puck has just put the love potion in their eyes so now Lysander and Demetrius both love Helena. When Hermia enters and sees Lysander is in love with Helena she is angry and confused, and thinks Helena did something to convince him to leave her because she is so short. However, Helena is just as confused by the abrupt changes in heart and thinks Hermia is in on some joke, trying to trick her and play her for a fool. The boys say they will protect Helena from Hermia, but quickly decide to run off and duel over her instead. The girls both exit.
Character description, monologue synopsis, and monologue scoring provided by Michaela Buckley as a part of the Spring 2019 THT 352 class.
Puppet? why so? ay, that way goes the game.
Now I perceive that she hath made compare
Between our statures; she hath urged her height;
And with her personage, her tall personage,
Her height, forsooth, she hath prevail'd with him.
And are you grown so high in his esteem;
Because I am so dwarfish and so low?
How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak;
How low am I? I am not yet so low
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.
| Number of syllables | Scored text | Meaning of beat |
| 10 | Puppet? Why so? ay, that way goes the game. | [Beginning of beat one] To discover |
| 10 | Now I perceive that she hath made compare | [Beginning of beat two] To interrogate |
| 10 | Between our statures; she hath urged her height | |
| 11 | And with her personage, her tall personage | |
| 10 | Her height, forsooth, she hath prevail'd with him | |
| 9 | Are you grown so high in his esteem; | [Beginning of beat three] To pontificate |
| 10 | Because I am so dwarfish and so low? | |
| 10 | How low am I, thou painted Maypole? speak; | [Beginning of beat four] To antagonize |
| 10 | How low am I? I am not yet so low | |
| 10 | But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes |
Definitions from David & Ben Crystal / Shakespeare's Words are under copyright, and may not be used without their express permission. All other definitions are from sources in the public domain.
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