virginal nymph Daphne who pursues him, the dove chases after the
griffin, which is usually its predator, and the gentle deer tries to
hunt down the tiger—speed is useless when the cowardly
person chases and the brave person runs away.
DEMETRIUS
220
I will not stay thy questions. Let me go.
Or if thou follow me, do not believe
But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.
DEMETRIUS
I'm not sticking around to listen to you any longer.
Leave me alone. Or if you follow me, you'd better
understand that I'll do something bad to you in the
forest.
HELENA
Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field
You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius!
225
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.
HELENA
Yes, you already hurt me in the church, in the town, and in the
fields. Shame on you, Demetrius! Your behavior is an insult to all
women. We cannot fight for love as men can. We should be pursued and
courted. We weren't made to do the pursuing.
Exit DEMETRIUS
DEMETRIUS exits.
I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell,
To die upon the hand I love so well.
I'll follow you and turn this hell I'm in
into a kind of heaven. It would be heavenly to be killed by someone
I love so much.
Exit HELENA
HELENA exits.
OBERON
230
Fare thee well, nymph. Ere he do leave this grove,
Thou shalt fly him and he shall seek thy love.
OBERON
Goodbye, nymph. Before he leaves this part of the forest,
you'll change places: you'll be the one
running away, and he'll be in love with you.
Enter ROBIN
ROBIN enters.
Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer.
Do you have the flower? Welcome, traveler.
ROBIN
Ay, there it is.
ROBIN
Yes, here it is.
OBERON
I pray thee, give it me.
(takes flower from
ROBIN)
235
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk roses and with eglantine.
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
OBERON
Please, give it to me.
(he takes the flower
from
ROBIN) I know a place where wild
thyme blooms, and oxlips and violets grow. It's covered
over with luscious hon-
