In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the character Helena is extremely annoying. She is hopelessly in love with Demetrius, a man who not only doesn’t love her back, but in fact despises her. Demetrius is in love with Hermia, one of Helena’s friends.
Demetrius makes it very clear to Helena that he does not love her, but she still follows him around like a little puppy. In one scene in the play he is telling her to stop following him and she responds by telling him she is his spaniel and that he can beat her but she will still love him. “And even for that do I love you the more. / I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, / The more you beat me, I will fawn on you” (2.1. 203-305). Her love is completely hopeless. Her character has no backbone at all! It is said earlier in the play that he once told her that he loved her, but once he met her friend he changed his mind. This guy is a total jerk! He led one girl on and then dropped her quickly as soon as he found a prettier one. Helena should see this. She needs to grow a backbone and call him out for what he has done to her, but instead she allows it and degrades herself.
It is hard not to feel a little sympathy for how pathetic she is, but at the same time she whines all the time and it just gets annoying. Helena’s self confidence and respect has been shattered and she makes no attempt to build it again. “No, no, I am as ugly as a bear; / For beasts that meet me run away for fear./ Therefore no marvel though Demetrius/ Do, as a monster, fly my presence thus” (2.2.100-103). She is so pathetic that she gives excuses for Demetrius’s actions, saying that she is so ugly that she does not blame him for running away. This much whining gets very annoying and it is hard to feel sorry for her.
Helena, simply put, does not have a backbone. She cannot stand up to a jerk that has used her and ran away and ignored her. She needs to get some self respect and stand up for herself and stop acting like a little puppy. It is very pathetic and obviously not working out for her.
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