Love Is Torture With A Cute Bad Guy
Helena's Playlist
Theme: Love is confusing and it hurts.
All throughout A Midsummer Night's Dream, Helena is madly in love with Demetrius, but he's in love with Hermia. Helena wishes she wasn't in love with him, because then life would be way easier, but she can't help herself.
Bastille - Bad Blood
Track 1: Bad Blood by Bastille
I chose Bad Blood because it's about friendships and "bad blood" between friends.
"All this bad blood, won't you let it go..." At the beginning of the play, Helena is mad at and jealous of Hermia, who used to be her best friend. This song kind of shows that feeling.
[LYRICS]: Zedd - Clarity (ft. Foxes)
Track 2: Clarity by Zedd ft. Foxes
I chose this song because it shows what Helena feels for Demetrius. In the song, it says "If our love is tragedy why are you my clarity, if our love is insanity why are you my remedy?" Helena's love is tragedy, and she wishes she wasn't in love with someone who didn't like her back, but no matter how hard she tries, he's her "clarity".
Taylor Swift - Permanent Marker Lyrics
Track 3: Permanent Marker by Taylor Swift
This is a song about how she is jealous of another girl because she stole her boyfriend. That's almost exactly how Helena feels after Demetrius falls in love with Hermia. He used to like her but then he moved on.
Taylor Swift- Better Than Revenge (Lyrics)
Track 4: Better Than Revenge by Taylor Swift
This is another song about Helena that describes her almost exactly. It's about how someone steals her boyfriend and makes him fall in love with her, and she's really jealous and wants revenge. Helena is especially thinking like this when she decides to betray Hermia.
Masked Intruder - Unrequited Love (Lyrics on Screen)
Track 5: Unrequited Love by Masked Intruder
This is a song about unrequited love, which is basically what Helena lives with all the time, but especially when Demetrius is chasing Hermia and telling Helena to go back home.
"At Seventeen" by Janis Ian {lyrics}
Track 6: At Seventeen by Janis Ian
I chose this song for the part where Lysander and Demetrius are both in love with her and she thinks they're making fun of her, even though they aren't. This song DOES work for her attitude for practically the whole play though.
Josh Groban - Brave [Official Music Video]
Track 7: Brave by Josh Groban
This song is about wanting to run away. Helena feels like this when she thinks Lysander and Demetrius are making fun of her, and she thinks Hermia is in on it too. She really wants to run away and she talks about how she is going to go back home to her dad.
Bob Dylan - Mixed Up Confusion 76982-5
Track 8: Mixed Up Confusion by Bob Dylan
Late into the play, a lot of confusing things happen to Helena. All of a sudden Demetrius and Lysander love her, and Hermia hates her. Everyone's acting weird, and Helena is freaked out. This song is about that kind of confusion.
Nelly Furtado Afraid Lyrics
Track 9: Afraid by Nelly Furtado
I chose this song because at the almost very end of the play, Helena, Demetrius, Lysander, and Hermia are all caught by Theseus and Egeus. Hermia is probably most afraid, but Helena is too since she was caught with 2 people trying to escape the law. This is a song about fear, and being afraid, like Helena is.
Pharrell Williams - Happy (Official Music Video)
Track 10: Happy by Pharrell Williams
Helena is super happy at the end because her true love fell in love with her again, her best friend wasn't killed, and overall it was a happy ending all around.