I’ll run from thee and hide me in the brakes,
And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts…
I will not stay thy questions; let me go:
Or, if thou follow me, do not believe
But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.
– William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 1. Demetrius shows how mean he is to the woman he was once betrothed to, Helena. He also demonstrates his fickleness, as he scorns Helena and pursues her best friend Hermia. Helena’s appeals for Demetrius’ love are met with in this passage with insults and threats to leave her to "the mercy of wild beasts" and do her "mischief in the wood."