Comparison Between Hermia and Helena
Comparison Between Hermia and Helena
At the beginning of the play, we can see that there is a big difference between Hermia and Helena. While Hermia is self-confident, Helena is self-abased. That is because Hermia is loved by the man she loves however Helena is refused by the man she loves. We can see that clearly according to their dialog
HERMIA
I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.
HELENA
O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!
As I mentioned, we can see that Hermia is confident and brave. At the very beginning of ACT1.SC1, when Theseus and her father Egeus tells Hermia that Demetrius is a "worthy gentleman", Hermia responds, "So is Lysander", she is regardless of her father’s words. Besides, she has courage to escape Athens with Lysander, she says that she doesn’t want her love be limited by others. However, Helena is totally different from Hermia. She is negative, which can be defined as lack of confidence, apparently, that is because she is refused by the man she loved. She has no confidence about everything of herself and thinks Hermia is the perfect. She says “I am as ugly as a bear”, which indicates that she has no confidence about her appearance. As Helena said:
Call you me fair? that fair again unsay.
Demetrius loves your fair: O happy fair!
Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue's sweet air
More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear,
When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.
Sickness is catching: O, were favour so,
Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go;
My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,
My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest I'd give to be to you translated.
O, teach me how you look, and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart.
Also, Hermia knew how she should behave before they got married. She is virtuous. When Lysander asked if he can lie beside her, Hermia refused him directly. Hermia’s protecting her
At the beginning of the play, we can see that there is a big difference between Hermia and Helena. While Hermia is self-confident, Helena is self-abased. That is because Hermia is loved by the man she loves however Helena is refused by the man she loves. We can see that clearly according to their dialog
HERMIA
I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.
HELENA
O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!
As I mentioned, we can see that Hermia is confident and brave. At the very beginning of ACT1.SC1, when Theseus and her father Egeus tells Hermia that Demetrius is a "worthy gentleman", Hermia responds, "So is Lysander", she is regardless of her father’s words. Besides, she has courage to escape Athens with Lysander, she says that she doesn’t want her love be limited by others. However, Helena is totally different from Hermia. She is negative, which can be defined as lack of confidence, apparently, that is because she is refused by the man she loved. She has no confidence about everything of herself and thinks Hermia is the perfect. She says “I am as ugly as a bear”, which indicates that she has no confidence about her appearance. As Helena said:
Call you me fair? that fair again unsay.
Demetrius loves your fair: O happy fair!
Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue's sweet air
More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear,
When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.
Sickness is catching: O, were favour so,
Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go;
My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,
My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest I'd give to be to you translated.
O, teach me how you look, and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart.
Also, Hermia knew how she should behave before they got married. She is virtuous. When Lysander asked if he can lie beside her, Hermia refused him directly. Hermia’s protecting her