How does Shakespeare present Helena's feelings?

Helena reveals her feelings through monologue and dialogue, showing herself to be a perceptive and intelligent woman as well as one besotted with love for Demetrius. For example, she acknowledges early in the play that her love is irrational:

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.Nor hath Love's mind of any judgment taste.Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.

She is saying in the quote above that Demetrius, rationally speaking, may not be that great a catch, but nevertheless she is love with him because love has no judgement.
Later, in dialogue with Demetrius while chasing him through the forest, she expresses an abject form of love: she says she will put up with abuse just to be near him. This is another example of love as irrational. In the quote below, she expresses the pathetic intensity of her desire. She says:

I am your spaniel. And, Demetrius,
The more you beat me, I will fawn on you.
Use me but as your spaniel—spurn me, strike me,
Neglect me, lose me. Only give me leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.


When the love potion causes both Lysander and Demetrius to fall in love with her, Helena again uses dialogue to express her feelings. This time, she experiences not love, but anger. She is angry because she thinks Lysander and Demetrius are in cahoots to make fun of her. She thinks it is a cruel joke that they are pretending to be in love with her, not knowing they really are besotted. She doesn't mince words as she yells at Lysander to stop mocking her. Isn't it enough, she asks, that I have to put up with Demetrius scorning me without you, Lysander, piling on?


Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?
When at your hands did I deserve this scorn?
Is ’t not enough, is ’t not enough, young man,
That I did never, no, nor never can,
Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,
But you must flout my insufficiency?