Rhetorical Analysis In A Midsummer Night's Dream

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Helena thinks that both Demetrius, Lysander, and Hermia are all playing a prank on her by making Demetrius and Lysander act like they love her. Helena delivers a monologue where she is accusing Hermia of being in on the prank. In Helena's monologue, Shakespeare portrays her character as a hurt, confused, and sad friend. Shakespeare cultivates this character through the use of accusatory and negative diction, symbolism, and similes. When Helena first begins her monologue, she immediately jumps to the conclusion that Hermia is supposedly in with Demetrius and Lysander into pranking her. Even within the first line, Helena accuses Hermia with, “Lo, she is one of this confederacy!” (3.2.197). Helena develops an accusatory diction towards Hermia without slowing down and thinking

After Helena is done reminiscing about their childhood, she focuses on targeting Hermia personally, “And will you rent our ancient love asunder, to join with men in scorning your poor friend?” Shakespeare uses this rhetorical question to show how Helena verbally attacks Hermia, by Helena asking if Hermia would really give up their love to join in with men to poke fun at her. This also shows Helena’s overdramatic and rash character through her words, also shown in, “Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it” Helena is saying that because she thinks that Hermia is making fun of her, that the whole female race will look down on her for her actions. In the last line of Helena’s monologue, she says “Though I alone do feel the injury” Here she wants Hermia to know that not only all females will despise her for making fun of Helena, but Helena will only personally feel the pain of Hermia’s actions. Therefore, Helena’s monologue clearly shows her rash, emotional, and negative character through accusatory diction, similes, and