diff --git a/Lib/html/parser.py b/Lib/html/parser.py
--- a/Lib/html/parser.py
+++ b/Lib/html/parser.py
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@
         rawdata = self.rawdata
         i = 0
         n = len(rawdata)
+        rawdata_startswith = rawdata.startswith
         while i < n:
             match = self.interesting.search(rawdata, i) # < or &
             if match:
@@ -183,17 +184,16 @@
             if i < j: self.handle_data(rawdata[i:j])
             i = self.updatepos(i, j)
             if i == n: break
-            startswith = rawdata.startswith
-            if startswith('<', i):
+            if rawdata_startswith('<', i):
                 if starttagopen.match(rawdata, i): # < + letter
                     k = self.parse_starttag(i)
-                elif startswith("</", i):
+                elif rawdata_startswith("</", i):
                     k = self.parse_endtag(i)
-                elif startswith("<!--", i):
+                elif rawdata_startswith("<!--", i):
                     k = self.parse_comment(i)
-                elif startswith("<?", i):
+                elif rawdata_startswith("<?", i):
                     k = self.parse_pi(i)
-                elif startswith("<!", i):
+                elif rawdata_startswith("<!", i):
                     if self.strict:
                         k = self.parse_declaration(i)
                     else:
@@ -217,13 +217,13 @@
                         k += 1
                     self.handle_data(rawdata[i:k])
                 i = self.updatepos(i, k)
-            elif startswith("&#", i):
+            elif rawdata_startswith("&#", i):
                 match = charref.match(rawdata, i)
                 if match:
                     name = match.group()[2:-1]
                     self.handle_charref(name)
                     k = match.end()
-                    if not startswith(';', k-1):
+                    if not rawdata_startswith(';', k-1):
                         k = k - 1
                     i = self.updatepos(i, k)
                     continue
@@ -232,13 +232,13 @@
                         self.handle_data(rawdata[0:2])
                         i = self.updatepos(i, 2)
                     break
-            elif startswith('&', i):
+            elif rawdata_startswith('&', i):
                 match = entityref.match(rawdata, i)
                 if match:
                     name = match.group(1)
                     self.handle_entityref(name)
                     k = match.end()
-                    if not startswith(';', k-1):
+                    if not rawdata_startswith(';', k-1):
                         k = k - 1
                     i = self.updatepos(i, k)
                     continue
@@ -331,11 +331,12 @@
         assert match, 'unexpected call to parse_starttag()'
         k = match.end()
         self.lasttag = tag = match.group(1).lower()
+        if self.strict:
+            matcher = attrfind.match
+        else:
+            matcher = attrfind_tolerant.match
         while k < endpos:
-            if self.strict:
-                m = attrfind.match(rawdata, k)
-            else:
-                m = attrfind_tolerant.match(rawdata, k)
+            m = matcher(rawdata, k)
             if not m:
                 break
             attrname, rest, attrvalue = m.group(1, 2, 3)