WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Read the extract below and answer the question:
So should the murdered look, and so should I,
Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty;
Yes you the murdered look so bright in clear
As yonder, Venus in her, glimmering sphere
The speaker and the addressee are
- Demetrius and Lysander
- Hermia and Lysander
-
Demetrius and Hermia
- Lysander and Helena
The correct answer is: C
Explanation
The speaker and addressee are Demetrius and Helena (Act 3 Scene 2) (Lines 58-61). Puck has placed the love potion on Demetrius's eyes, making him fall in love with Helena instead of Hermia. Hermia is confused and looking for Lysander, but Demetrius—now enchanted—starts declaring his love for her in exaggerated poetic terms. In these lines, Demetrius compares himself to a murdered man, saying that Hermia’s cruelty has "pierced" his heart. However, Hermia is not interested and immediately dismisses his words, asking instead about Lysander’s whereabouts.