Demetrius and Lysander compete for Helena's love鈥nd 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鈥
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 鈥 ahem 鈥 slight mix-up with a magic flower? Oberon was pretty angry about that! So now I鈥檓 leading Helena to Demetrius, so that he can fall in love with her like Oberon wanted.
LYSANDER: Sweet Helena鈥 You鈥檝e returned!
PUCK: Oh no鈥 Not this guy again.
HELENA: Stop it Lysander, it鈥檚 not funny.
LYSANDER: You think I鈥檓 joking? Look, when I tell you that I love you, I鈥檓 crying. How could you confuse real tears for lying?
HELENA: Because you are lying. You love Hermia!
LYSANDER: No I don鈥檛. 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鈥 O let me kiss you!
HELENA: I see, you have both decided to make fun of me. First you鈥檙e rivals in love for Hermia and now you鈥檙e 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鈥 Look who鈥檚 coming now. It鈥檚 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鈥檝e been looking everywhere for you. Now stop being silly, this isn鈥檛 funny anymore.
HELENA: 鈥淎ny more鈥? 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鈥檓 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鈥檙e not making sense Helena鈥
HELENA: Ah yes, pretend to make sad looks and cry, but wink and laugh when I turn my back. No more of this. I鈥檓 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鈥檒l make you!
LYSANDER: You can鈥檛 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鈥檚 heart from him?
HELENA: How is it possible that you鈥檙e 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鈥檛 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: 鈥淟ittle鈥! Again! Nothing but 鈥渓ow鈥 and 鈥渓ittle鈥! Let me come to her 鈥
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鈥檙e at each other鈥檚 throats!
PUCK: Believe me, king of shadows, it was a mistake!
OBERON: Well it鈥檚 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鈥檚 eye and restore his love for Hermia.
PUCK: Ugh! He鈥檚 no fun when he鈥檚 angry. I better do as he says. First of all I鈥檒l overcast the night鈥
FX: Thunder rumbles
PUCK: Then I鈥檒l 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鈥檚 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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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鈥檚 speech when he wakes up and sees Helena (鈥淥 Helena, goddess, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare your eyes? Crystal is too muddy鈥︹) 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鈥檚 confrontation is peppered with Shakespearean insults - eg 鈥渏uggler鈥, 鈥渃anker-blossom鈥, 鈥減uppet鈥, 鈥減ainted maypole鈥. 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鈥 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
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鈥檚 mistake.
7: Lifting the Fog. video
Puck leads the lovers off to sleep and Oberon releases Titania from his spell.
