Demetrius and Lysander compete for Helena's love…and Hermia starts a fight.
SCENE 8: ANOTHER PART OF THE WOODS
PUCK: So, there are more Athenians in these woods than I thought and that means more problems…
HELENA: Where am I?
FX: Puck casts spell
PUCK: Woops! This is Helena. You remember her, right? The one who was in love with Demetrius? And who Lysander then fell in love with, thanks to a – ahem – slight mix-up with a magic flower? Oberon was pretty angry about that! So now I’m leading Helena to Demetrius, so that he can fall in love with her like Oberon wanted.
LYSANDER: Sweet Helena… You’ve returned!
PUCK: Oh no… Not this guy again.
HELENA: Stop it Lysander, it’s not funny.
LYSANDER: You think I’m joking? Look, when I tell you that I love you, I’m crying. How could you confuse real tears for lying?
HELENA: Because you are lying. You love Hermia!
LYSANDER: No I don’t. Demetrius loves Hermia, I love you!
FX: Spell takes effect
DEMETRIUS: O Helena, goddess, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare your eyes? Crystal is too muddy… O let me kiss you!
HELENA: I see, you have both decided to make fun of me. First you’re rivals in love for Hermia and now you’re rivals in mocking me.
LYSANDER: You are unkind Demetrius, be not so. For you love Hermia and this you know I know.
DEMETRIUS: Lysander, keep your Hermia, I want none. If I ever loved her, all that love is gone. Now my love is returned to Helena!
HELENA: Argh!
PUCK: Oh-oh… Look who’s coming now. It’s Hermia.
HERMIA: Lysander! My love is found! My ear, I thank it, brought me to your sound. But why unkindly did you leave me so?
LYSANDER: Why should I stay when love made me go?
HERMIA: Love? What love could lead you from my side?
LYSANDER: My love for the beautiful Helena, of course. Why are you here?
HERMIA: I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Now stop being silly, this isn’t funny anymore.
HELENA: “Any more”? Oh, I see. You too are part of this conspiracy. Cruel Hermia! How could you join in with the boys to scorn your poor old friend?
HERMIA: I’m not scorning you, it seems you are scorning me.
HELENA: Have you not set Lysander to follow me and praise my eyes and face? And made your other love Demetrius do the same?
HERMIA: You’re not making sense Helena–
HELENA: Ah yes, pretend to make sad looks and cry, but wink and laugh when I turn my back. No more of this. I’m leaving.
LYSANDER: Stay, gentle Helena, my love, my life, my soul!
HERMIA: Sweet, do not scorn her so.
DEMETRIUS: Yes, leave Helena alone Lysander.
LYSANDER: Or what?
DEMETRIUS: Or I’ll make you!
LYSANDER: You can’t make me do anything!
HERMIA: Lysander, come on.
LYSANDER: Out of my way Hermia, or I will shake you from me like a serpent!
HERMIA: I see. You juggler Helena! You canker-blossom! You thief of love! What, did you come by night and steal my love’s heart from him?
HELENA: How is it possible that you’re angry with me? Fie! You puppet you!
HERMIA: Puppet?! So, you have decided to compare our statures. I see, with your great height you have wooed my Lysander. Are you grown so high in his esteem because I am so little and so low? How low am I, you painted maypole! I am not yet so low that my nails can’t reach up to your eyes!
DEMETRIUS: Fear not, sweet Helena, I will protect you!
LYSANDER: No, I will!
HELENA: O, when she is angry she is mean and cruel and though she be but little she is fierce!
HERMIA: “Little”! Again! Nothing but “low” and “little”! Let me come to her –
LYSANDER: Get you gone, you bead, you acorn!
HERMIA: Acorn?!
FX: Magic flash and rumble
OBERON: This is your negligence Puck! First, you get the wrong Athenian, then I tell you to make it right, but now I find they’re at each other’s throats!
PUCK: Believe me, king of shadows, it was a mistake!
OBERON: Well it’s time to undo that mistake! Lead these lovers deep within the woods, and keep them apart until they fall asleep.
PUCK: Yes my lord.
OBERON: Then touch the magic flower to Lysander’s eye and restore his love for Hermia.
PUCK: Ugh! He’s no fun when he’s angry. I better do as he says. First of all I’ll overcast the night…
FX: Thunder rumbles
PUCK: Then I’ll lead them off and set things right.
6: The Lovers' Quarrel
Puck leads Helena to Demetrius, whereupon Lysander appears and restates his love for Helena. When Demetrius, who is sleeping close by, wakes up and sees Helena, he too falls madly in love with her under the influence of the magic flower. Helena thinks that she is now being made fun of by both Lysander and Demetrius.
Hermia arrives and Helena accuses her of being in on the joke as well. Hermia also thinks Lysander is mocking Helena; when she asks him to stop, Lysander turns on her. Hermia then turns on Helena, thinking that she has seduced Lysander with her height.
All four lovers almost come to blows, at which point Oberon appears and freezes them where they stand. He's furious and commands Puck to lead the lovers through the forest until they all fall asleep and then to charm Lysander’s eyes so that he might fall in love with Hermia again. Puck summons a thick fog and prepares to lead the lovers their separate ways through the wood.
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Episode transcript
Download / print transcript of Episode 6
Activities - KS2
There is plenty of Shakespearean language for pupils to consider in this episode of the adaptation. Demetrius’s speech when he wakes up and sees Helena (“O Helena, goddess, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare your eyes? Crystal is too muddy…”) could lead to a discussion about metaphors and similes and even introduce some other famous imaginative comparisons from Shakespeare - eg Sonnets 18 and 130.
Helena and Hermia’s confrontation is peppered with Shakespearean insults - eg “juggler”, “canker-blossom”, “puppet”, “painted maypole”. Pupils could have a discussion about what these insults mean, as well as be given an opportunity to devise (and perform) their own Shakespearean insults with the aid of an insult generator worksheet.
Activities - KS3
Students could analyse selections from the original text of the lovers’ quarrel in Act 3, Scene 2, picking out notable words and phrases and identifying any language features that are used by Shakespeare to express character.
They could then attempt to re-write complete passages in modern prose, retaining the meaning of the original.
More episodes from A Midsummer Night's Dream
4: The Wrong Athenian. video
Oberon uses the magic flower on Titania...but Puck uses it on the wrong Athenian.
5: Oberon's Revenge. video
Titania falls in love with the transformed Bottom and Oberon discovers Puck’s mistake.
7: Lifting the Fog. video
Puck leads the lovers off to sleep and Oberon releases Titania from his spell.
