# Scene II explained — A Midsummer Night's Dream

> Chapter companion for A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

In the woods, Helena laments her unrequited love for Demetrius and discovers Lysander asleep. Lysander awakens and, under the influence of Puck's love potion, declares his love for Helena, abandoning Hermia. Meanwhile, Titania's fairies sing her to sleep, and Oberon applies the love juice to her eyes. Lysander and Hermia rest separately, and Puck mistakenly applies the potion to Lysander's eyes. Demetrius flees from Helena, who continues to pursue him.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Marriage

The love potion causes chaotic shifts in affection, highlighting the irrational and fickle nature of love as Lysander abandons Hermia for Helena.

### Nature and the Supernatural

The fairy world and magical love juice from a flower demonstrate the supernatural forces at play in the natural setting of the woods.

### Jealousy and Conflict

Helena's jealousy of Hermia's beauty and the ensuing romantic confusion create conflict among the lovers.

## Character check-ins

### Helena

Helena laments her ugliness compared to Hermia, discovers Lysander asleep, and is bewildered when Lysander awakens and declares his love for her, which she interprets as mockery.

### Lysander

Lysander awakens under the influence of Puck's love potion and immediately declares his love for Helena, rejecting Hermia and vowing to be Helena's knight.

### Hermia

Hermia sleeps apart from Lysander and awakens from a nightmare about a serpent eating her heart, only to find Lysander gone.

### Titania

Titania commands her fairies to sing her to sleep and is then anointed with love juice by Oberon while she sleeps.

### Oberon

Oberon enters and squeezes the love flower onto Titania's eyelids, casting a spell that will make her fall in love with the first creature she sees upon waking.

### Puck

Puck searches for the Athenian man described by Oberon and mistakenly applies the love potion to Lysander's eyes instead of Demetrius.

### Demetrius

Demetrius is pursued by Helena and rejects her, threatening to leave her alone in the dark woods.

## Key lines

> What wicked and dissembling glass of mine Made me compare with Hermia's sphery eyne?

What deceitful mirror made me think I could compare with Hermia's beautiful eyes?

_Helena laments her own appearance and feels inferior to Hermia._

> Not Hermia but Helena I love: Who will not change a raven for a dove?

I love Helena, not Hermia; who wouldn't exchange a dark raven for a pure dove?

_Lysander, under the love potion, declares his new love for Helena, comparing Hermia unfavorably._

> Methought a serpent eat my heart away, And you sat smiling at his cruel prey.

I dreamed a serpent was devouring my heart while you watched and smiled at its cruelty.

_Hermia describes her nightmare, foreshadowing Lysander's betrayal._

> What thou seest when thou dost wake, Do it for thy true-love take, Love and languish for his sake:

Whatever you see when you wake, consider it your true love and yearn for it.

_Oberon casts a spell on Titania to make her fall in love with the first thing she sees._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_midsummer_nights_dream_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-ii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_midsummer_nights_dream_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_midsummer_nights_dream_se/chapters