Help with A Midsummer Night's Dream... what does this mean in modern-times?

Question

Lo, she is one of this confederacy!
Now I perceive they have conjoin'd all three
To fashion this false sport, in spite of me.
Injurious Hermia! most ungrateful maid!
Have you conspired, have you with these contrived
To bait me with this foul derision?
Is all the counsel that we two have shared,
The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent,
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting us,--O, is it all forgot?
All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,
Have with our needles created both one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key,
As if our hands, our sides, voices and minds,
Had been incorporate. So we grow together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition;
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one and crowned with one crest.

Answer 1

Now She (Hermia) is one of the conspiracy. Now I can see they have all joined up to take the mickey out of me.
You injure me, Hermia. How ungratefull. Have you joined up with these (Lysander and Demetrius) to get me annoyed with mean words. Have you forgotten the promises we made to eachother, all the time we've spent together when time went so fast?
All our school time friendship, our innocent shildhood.
We, Hermia, have shared everything to the point that we've both embroidered the same flower whilst sat on the same cushion, singing the same song as if our hands and voices and minds could not be separated. We grew up together like a double cherry, we seem to be seperate but we are together nontheless.

It goes on in the same vein. It is basically Helena saying to Hermia 'How can you treat me like this, we were so close growing up we were practically twins.' Shakespeare just likes pretty images.

Feel free to email with any other Shakespeare questions, I've taught it for many a year.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

"Oh, she is one of those against me! Now I see that all three have joined together to create this false game, to spite me! Hermia, how hurtful you are! Such an ungrateful girl! Have you conspired, and contrived to deceive me with this foul scheme? All the conversations we've had together, the (happy )hours we've spent together, our sisters vows, when we have been so upset with time passing so quickly, because we'd be parted - Oh! Is all of this forgotten? And all our schooldays' friendship, childhood innocence - also forgotten? Hermia, we were like two artificial gods together, sitting on one cushion, with our sewing needles creating the same flower on one sampler; we'd sing together, too, in the same key, just as if our hands, our sides, our voices and minds had been as one, undivided. And so, we grew together, like a double cherry that looks like two, but is sharing the same stem; two lovely berries moulded on one stem.
So it was, seemingly two bodies but beating with one heart;
Two bodies, two persons, like two coats in heraldry owing obedience just to one and crowned only with one crest."

Answer 3

The speaker is a annoyed at Hermia; a betrayal, or at least perceived betrayal. The first few lines are going on about this betrayal, the rest of this explains why it is such a betrayal, and how hurtful it is. The speaker and Hermia have shared alot, they are each halves (in the speaker's mind) of the same whole. All of this, the speaker is saying, has been forgotten over a man (despite the betrayal being induced by trickery and interference of bored faeries).

That's just my opinion though, and i have not read this since i was... about 12. eep, i feel old.

Answer 4

Back in 1976 I was Hippolita (I'm pretty sure I didn't spell that right!) Queen of the Amazon's in this play. I still do not know what the whole thing is about! Perhaps someone will convert the language into modern day english for you. Good luck!

Answer 5

It means they were the best of friends, and now Helena feels betrayed by Hermia because of a man.

Answer 6

I refuse to participate in any enterprise that purports to "translate" Shakespeare.

News flash: it's written in ENGLISH.