My good Lysander,
I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicity of Venus’ doves,
By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,
And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen
When the false Trojan under sail was seen,
By all the vows that ever men have broke
(In number more than ever women spoke),
In that same place thou hast appointed me,
Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.
– William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1. Hermia is very strong, extremely brave and willing to fight for love. She pledges to run away with Lysander, even though it is a decision that could threaten her life. She is prepared to take great risks to be with the one she loves, Lysander. Shakespeare pokes a bit of fun at men’s unreliability in their love promises, when he says that men break a lot more vows than women. "By all the vows that ever men have broke." Hermia says in her pledge to rendezvous with Lysander.