Monday, July 23, 2012

Suburbs of Our Discontent

In this scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream (2.1), Helena chases Demetrius into the woods, desperate to win his love despite Demetrius' affection for Hermia:




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?

1 comment:

  1. If the picture above is of the dog you were sitting (lucky you!), then Helena's reply is completely accurate. Cavaliers are slavishly devoted to their humans. Ours is lying at my feet as I type this. Would love to know of any further evidence of Shakespeare owning a dog.

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