1.) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena)
Act I, Scene 1 — “How happy some o’er other some can be!”
My recommendation: ★★★★★ — Best overall first Shakespeare monologue
Helena has watched her friend Hermia effortlessly receive the love of Demetrius—the boy Helena desperately loves. Worse, Demetrius used to love Helena. After Hermia and Lysander leave, Helena is alone and tries to understand why love makes absolutely no sense. By the end of the speech, she gets an idea: she will tell Demetrius that Hermia is running away, because at least that will give Helena an excuse to see him again. Folger’s scene synopsis confirms this progression.
Helena – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
How happy some o’er other some can be!
Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.
But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so.
He will not know what all but he do know.
And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgment taste.
Wings, and no eyes, figure unheedy haste.
And therefore is Love said to be a child
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.
As waggish boys in game themselves forswear,
So the boy Love is perjured everywhere.
For, ere Demetrius looked on Hermia’s eyne,
He hailed down oaths that he was only mine;
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt.
I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight.
Then to the wood will he tomorrow night
Pursue her. And, for this intelligence
If I have thanks, it is a dear expense.
But herein mean I to enrich my pain,
To have his sight thither and back again.
Helena Cheat Sheet
In modern English
Everyone thinks I’m just as pretty as Hermia. Everyone except the one person whose opinion I actually care about.
Demetrius thinks she’s beautiful and I’m not. But I can’t exactly criticize him for being irrational, because I’m doing exactly the same thing—I think he’s wonderful even though he’s treating me terribly.
That’s the problem with love. It completely screws up your judgment.
And the worst part? He used to swear he loved me.
Then he saw Hermia.
And suddenly all those promises disappeared.
Wait.
I know Hermia is running away tonight.
If I tell Demetrius, he’ll go after her.
He might even thank me.
Yes, it’s going to hurt watching him chase another girl…
but at least I’ll get to see him.
Who is she talking to?
Essentially herself/the audience.
That makes this particularly useful for a beginner. She doesn’t need to manufacture some mysterious imaginary scene partner. We are watching Helena think.
What just happened?
Hermia has revealed that she and Lysander are secretly running away together.
Helena now possesses information that Demetrius desperately wants.
What does Helena want?
This is important:
She wants Demetrius back.
The speech isn’t primarily “I’m sad because a boy doesn’t like me.”
That’s the emotional circumstance.
Her underlying need is:
“How can I get close to him again?”
And eventually she solves the problem.
Acting journey
Comparison → hurt → trying to understand love → remembering his betrayal → IDEA → dangerous hope.
That last transition is everything.
Don’t finish the monologue sad.
She has developed a plan.
2.) Twelfth Night (Viola)
Act II, Scene 2 — “I left no ring with her”
Recommendation: ★★★★★ — Best for teaching thought and discovery
This may actually be the best acting exercise of the five.
Viola survived a shipwreck and believes her twin brother Sebastian may be dead. For protection, she has disguised herself as a young man named Cesario and entered Duke Orsino’s service. Unfortunately, Viola has fallen in love with Orsino.
Orsino sends “Cesario” to court Olivia for him.
Instead…
Olivia falls for Viola/Cesario.
Malvolio has just chased Viola down and returned a ring Olivia claims Viola left behind. There’s only one problem:
Viola never gave Olivia a ring.
Folger summarizes precisely this love triangle: Viola loves Orsino while Olivia falls for Viola in her Cesario disguise.
Leave a Reply