Helena Quotes

Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena,
And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1. Lysander dishes the dirt on love rival Demetrius and questions his constancy, as he fights for the right to wed Hermia. He brands Demetrius a player, accusing him of being morally flawed and fickle in his affections. He reveals that Demetrius first wooed and won the love of Hermia’s friend Helena, and now Helena obsesses over this unfaithful man. While Lysander questions Demetrius’ devotion to Helena, he portrays Helena’s affection as subservient and a one-side form of worship – "idolatry," he terms it. It is very clear that Lysander does not like Demetrius.

Your eyes are lode-stars and your tongue’s sweet air
More tunable than lark to shepherd’s ear
When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1. Helena uses metaphors to compare Hermia’s eyes to stars that guide ships at night and her tongue to the sweet music of the lark as heard by the shepherd. She is referring to her beautiful friend’s abilities to attract and enchant Demetrius. Her praise of Hermia’s beauty and the manner in which she belittles herself and compares herself unfavorably to her friend seems excessive. This arises from Helena’s insecurities and low self-esteem.

How happy some o’er other some can be!
Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.
But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so.
He will not know what all but he do know.
And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgment taste.
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.
And therefore is Love said to be a child,
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1. Helena delivers this moving monologue after Hermia and Lysander leave Athens to elope. She says that love blinds us from seeing the true nature of a person. What we really see is an illusion, for love is all in the head. She uses metaphors to compare love to a blind Cupid and also to a child, who is often deceived in the choices they make. Love has the power to transform people, she believes. It changes a person causing them to act irrationally. Helena is upset by the fact that her beloved Demetrius loves Hermia and not her. Although she is considered by many in Athens to be as beautiful as Hermia, Helena says that Demetrius cannot see this. For her part, Helena admits that Demetrius has "base and vile" qualities, but her blind love for him causes her to admire his qualities and see Demetrius as having "form and dignity" instead. Helen’s words about love not looking with the eyes turn out to be hilariously ironic. For in the end Puck proves the opposite to be true, spraying love potion into the eyes of the lovers who fall in love with the first creature they see! Helena’s monologue also foreshadows the blind love between Titania, Queen of the Fairies, who falls hopelessly for the donkey-headed Nick Bottom.

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1. Helena is saying that love depends on one’s perception of another person. It does not use eyes to see the beloved, but the mind. Therefore love is blind – Cupid is sometimes depicted with a blindfold on. Here the name Cupid, son of Venus and Mars in classical mythology, is a metaphor for love itself. This passage is also foreshadowing of the blind love between the Fairy Queen Titania and the ass-headed Nick Bottom.

For ere Demetrius looked on Hermia’s eyne,
He hailed down oaths that he was only mine;
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1. Helena speaks about Demetrius’ fickleness in love. Before he became attracted to Hermia, Helena reveals that he swore oaths that he belonged only to her. She uses a metaphor to compare his promises to showers of hail. When he looked into Hermia’s beautiful eyes, Helena claims that these promises melted away from the heat of his attraction for Hermia. Helena’s jealousy of Hermia is obvious from her angry words.

I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight.
Then to the wood will he tomorrow night
Pursue her. And, for this intelligence
If I have thanks, it is a dear expense.
But herein mean I to enrich my pain,
To have his sight thither and back again.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1. Helena decides to tell Demetrius that Hermia and Lysander are planning to run away together the next night. She knows that Demetrius will pursue Hermia and that she is betraying her friend’s trust. But Helena is hoping that Demetrius will be grateful to her for telling him and that she can win back his love.

I am your spaniel, and, Demetrius,
The more you beat me, I will fawn on you.
Use me but as your spaniel – spurn me, strike me,
Neglect me, lose me. Only give me leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 1. Helena literally throws herself at Demetrius, as she grovels to him and metaphorically calls herself his submissive "spaniel." Her absurd pleadings and willingness to humiliate and degrade herself reek of her desperate love. She says that the more he beats her, the more she will love him.

Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase,
The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind
Makes speed to catch the tiger – bootless speed,
When cowardice pursues and valour flies.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 1. As Demetrius flees from Helena’s sexual advances, she complains that the classic story of pursuit is being reversed. Instead of Apollo chasing Daphne, Daphne pursues Apollo, the dove chases the griffin and the deer the tiger. Helena is saying that her having to chase Demetrius is reversing the normal state of affairs, in which the man pursues the woman.

Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex.
We cannot fight for love, as men may do.
We should be wooed and were not made to woo.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 1. Helena complains to Demetrius that society finds it acceptable for men to woo women, but not for women to woo men. She accuses him of causing a "scandal on my sex" because she has had to be the one to pursue him. Helena has been chasing Demetrius through the forest, while he has told her that he is not interested in her.

Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?
When at your hands did I deserve this scorn?
Is ‘t not enough, is ‘t not enough, young man,
That I did never, no, nor never can,
Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius’ eye,
But you must flout my insufficiency?
Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do,
In such disdainful manner me to woo.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 2. When Lysander confesses his love to Helena, she believes that he is lying to her and making fun of her. She accuses him of mocking her inability to win Demetrius’ affection. She says that he does her wrong by wooing her so contemptuously without meaning it.

LYSANDER: I had no judgment when to her I swore.
HELENA: Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o’er.

– William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 3, Scene 2. Lysander declares that he was devoid of reason when he made vows of love to Hermia. Helena retorts that he lacks reason now for breaking those vows. She doesn’t believe his apparent change of affections from Hermia to Helena are sincere. What Lysander says is ironic because he had judgment when he swore to love Hermia, that judgment is now clouded by the application of Puck’s love potion.
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