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!
