Act 1 — Scenes 1–2
“The course of true love never did run smooth.”
1. Who said it?
Lysander, Helena, or Demetrius
2. What does it mean?
A. True love is always easy.
B. Love relationships often face difficulties.
C. People should avoid falling in love.
A. Speaker: Lysander
B. Meaning: B. Love relationships often face difficulties.
Lysander is a young man who loves Hermia and wants to marry her. He means that people in love often face obstacles and problems. His words foreshadow the difficulties he and Hermia experience because of her father's wishes and the laws of Athens.
“I am your spaniel.”
1. Who said it?
Helena, Titania, or Hermia
2. What does it mean?
A. I am your enemy.
B. I am a loyal dog who follows you devotedly.
C. I want you to leave me alone.
A. Speaker: Helena
B. Meaning: B. I am a loyal dog who follows you devotedly.
Helena is a young woman who continues pursuing Demetrius despite his cruel treatment of her. By comparing herself to a spaniel, she suggests that she will remain loyal and follow him like a devoted dog. The comparison shows how desperately she wants his love, even at the expense of her own dignity.
“I would my father looked but with my eyes.”
1. Who said it?
Hermia, Helena, or Titania
2. What does it mean?
A. I wish my father could see things from my point of view.
B. I wish my father would look at my appearance.
C. I want my father to choose my husband for me.
A. Speaker: Hermia
B. Meaning: A. I wish my father could see things from my point of view.
Hermia is a strong-willed young woman who loves Lysander but is expected to marry Demetrius. She wishes her father could understand her feelings and see the situation as she does. The quotation highlights the conflict between personal choice and parental authority.
“A sweet Athenian lady is in love / With a disdainful youth.”
1. Who said it?
Demetrius, Oberon, or Puck
2. What does it mean?
A young woman from Athens loves a young man who rejects her.
B. A young man from Athens loves a woman who rejects him.
C. A young woman from Athens is looking for a fairy.
A. Speaker: Oberon
B. Meaning: A. A young woman from Athens loves a young man who rejects her.
Oberon is the King of the Fairies, who observes Helena's suffering because of Demetrius. He describes Helena as a woman in love with a young man who treats her with disdain. He then decides to use the magical flower to try to make Demetrius love her.
“To you, your father should be as a god.”
1. Who said it?
Egeus, Theseus, or Oberon
2. What does it mean?
A. Your father should obey you.
B. Your father should be treated like a stranger.
C. You should respect and obey your father as a powerful authority
A. Speaker: Theseus
B. Meaning: C. You should respect and obey your father as a powerful authority.
Theseus is the Duke of Athens, who has the power to enforce the city's laws. He compares Hermia's father to a god to emphasize the obedience he expects her to show. His words reflect the importance placed on parental authority in the play.
“What thou seest when thou dost wake, / Do it for thy true love take.”
1. Who said it?
Oberon, Puck, or Titania
2. What does it mean?
A. Love only the person you already know.
B. Forget the first person you see when you wake.
C. Fall in love with the first creature you see when you wake.
A. Speaker: Oberon
B. Meaning: C. Fall in love with the first creature you see when you wake.
Oberon is the King of the Fairies, who plans to use magic to punish Titania and control her feelings. He tells Puck that Titania will fall in love with the first creature she sees after waking. The quotation introduces the magical spell that creates confusion and changes relationships in the play.
“As she is mine, I may dispose of her.”
1. Who said it?
TheseusDemetriusEgeus
2. What does it mean?
A. I have the right to decide what happens to my daughter.
B. My daughter has the right to choose her own husband.
C. I want my daughter to leave Athens.
A. Speaker: Egeus
B. Meaning: A. I have the right to decide what happens to my daughter.
Egeus is Hermia's father, who wants her to marry Demetrius instead of Lysander. He believes that his authority allows him to decide whom she marries. This quotation reveals his controlling attitude and the limited freedom Hermia faces under the law presented in the play.
“One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth.”
A. Who said it?
LysanderDemetriusOberon
B. What does it mean?
A. We should remain strangers.B. We should share love, closeness and faithfulness.
C. We should compete for the same person.
A. Speaker: Lysander
B. Meaning: B. We should share love, closeness and faithfulness.
Lysander is Hermia's lover, who hopes they will remain together and eventually marry. He uses these words to express his desire for closeness, unity and commitment. Hermia, however, asks him to lie farther away because she wants them to maintain modesty and proper boundaries.
“How happy some o’er other some can be!”
1. Who said it?
Hermia, Helena, or Titania
2. What does it mean?
A. Everyone experiences the same amount of happiness.
B. Some people seem much happier or more fortunate than others.
C. Happiness is impossible to achieve.
A. Speaker: Helena
B. Meaning: B. Some people seem much happier or more fortunate than others.
Helena is a young woman who loves Demetrius, although he does not return her feelings. She wonders why Hermia seems fortunate in love while she suffers rejection. The quotation reveals Helena's sadness, jealousy and insecurity about her situation.
“Oh, that a lady of one man refused / Should of another therefore be abused!”
1. Who said it?
Helena, Hermia, or Titania
2. What does it mean?
A. A woman rejected by one man should be mocked by another.
B. A woman who is rejected by one man should not be mistreated by another.
C. A woman should always accept the first man who loves her.
A. Speaker: Helena
B. Meaning: B. A woman who is rejected by one man should not be mistreated by another.
Helena is a young woman who has already suffered rejection from Demetrius and now believes Lysander is mocking her. She questions why one man's rejection should lead to another man's mistreatment of her. Her words reveal her hurt and the confusion caused when Lysander suddenly declares his love for her.