Saturday, June 21, 2014

Something from William Shakespeare for the Summer Solstice

In celebration of the Summer Solstice, I give you a snippet from A Midsummer Night's Dream... which shows that determined women and men playing hard to get in romances is nothing new....




DEMETRIUS


Do I entice you? do I speak you fair?


Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth


Tell you, I do not, nor I cannot love you?




HELENA


And even for that do I love you the more.


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.


What worser place can I beg in your love,--


And yet a place of high respect with me,--


Than to be used as you use your dog?



DEMETRIUS


Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit;


For I am sick when I do look on thee.


 
HELENA


And I am sick when I look not on you.




 Conflict and character set up well from the start...Enjoy the start of summer everyone!