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Coradella Collegiate Bookshelf Editions.

A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.
William Shakespeare


Contents
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About the author William Shakespeare (National Portrait Gallery)

William Shakespeare Shakespeare's influence on the English-speaking world is


(born April 1564, baptised reflected in the ready recognition afforded many quotations
April 26, 1564, died April from Shakespearean plays (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/
23, 1616 Julian calendar, Shakespeare), the titles of works based on Shakespearean
May 3, 1616 Gregorian phrases, and the many adaptations of his plays. Other
calendar) is widely consid- indicators of contemporary influence are his inclusion in
ered to have been the the top 10 of the "100 Greatest Britons" poll sponsored by
greatest writer the English the BBC, the frequent productions based on his work, such
language has ever known. as the BBC Television Shakespeare, and the success of the
As a playwright, he wrote fictional account of his life in the 1998 film Shakespeare in
not only some of the most Love.
powerful tragedies, but also
many comedies.
He also wrote 154 sonnets and several major poems,
some of which are considered to be the most brilliant pieces
of English literature ever written, because of Shakespeare's
ability to rise beyond the narrative and describe the inner-
most and the most profound aspects of human nature. He
is believed to have written most of his works between 1585
and 1613, although the exact dates and chronology of the
plays attributed to him are not accurately known. There
was no standardized spelling in Elizabethan England, and
Contents

Shakespeare's name is often rendered in contemporary


documents as Shakespear, Shaksper or even Shaxberd.
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Contents

Persons Represented. Click on a number in the list


Act 1. to go to the first page of that act.
Act 2.
Note:
Act 3. The best way to read this
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Contents
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Persons Represented.
THESEUS, Duke of Athens.
EGEUS, Father to Hermia.
LYSANDER, in love with Hermia.
DEMETRIUS, in love with Hermia.
PHILOSTRATE, Master of the Revels to Theseus.

A Midsummer QUINCE, the Carpenter.


SNUG, the Joiner.
BOTTOM, the Weaver.

Night’s Dream. FLUTE, the Bellows-mender.


SNOUT, the Tinker.
STARVELING, the Tailor.
HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, bethrothed to Theseus.
HERMIA, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander.
HELENA, in love with Demetrius.
OBERON, King of the Fairies.
TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies.
PUCK, or ROBIN GOODFELLOW, a Fairy.
PEASBLOSSOM, Fairy.
COBWEB, Fairy.
MOTH, Fairy.
MUSTARDSEED, Fairy.
NOTICE PYRAMUS, THISBE, WALL, MOONSHINE, LION }
Copyright © 2004 thewritedirection.net Characters in the Interlude performed by the Clowns.
Contents

Please note that although the text of this ebook is in the public domain,
this pdf edition is a copyrighted publication.
Other Fairies attending their King and Queen.
FOR COMPLETE DETAILS, SEE Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta.
COLLEGEBOOKSHELF.NET/COPYRIGHTS
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Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;
Turn melancholy forth to funerals—
The pale companion is not for our pomp. —
[Exit PHILOSTRATE.]
Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword,
And won thy love doing thee injuries;
Scene: Athens, and a wood not far from it. But I will wed thee in another key,
With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling.
[Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS.]
Act 1. EGEUS
Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke!
Scene I. Athens. A room in the Palace of THESEUS.
THESEUS
[Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and At-
Thanks, good Egeus: what’s the news with thee?
tendants.]
EGEUS
THESEUS
Full of vexation come I, with complaint
Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Against my child, my daughter Hermia.—
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Stand forth, Demetrius.—My noble lord,
Another moon; but, oh, methinks, how slow
This man hath my consent to marry her:—
This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires,
Stand forth, Lysander;—and, my gracious duke,
Like to a step-dame or a dowager,
This man hath bewitch’d the bosom of my child.
Long withering out a young man’s revenue.
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,
HIPPOLYTA And interchang’d love-tokens with my child:
Four days will quickly steep themselves in nights; Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung,
Four nights will quickly dream away the time; With feigning voice, verses of feigning love;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow And stol’n the impression of her fantasy
New bent in heaven, shall behold the night With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits,
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Of our solemnities. Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats,—messengers


THESEUS Of strong prevailment in unharden’d youth;—
Go, Philostrate, With cunning hast thou filch’d my daughter’s heart;
Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; Turned her obedience, which is due to me,
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To stubborn harshness.—And, my gracious duke, Nor how it may concern my modesty
Be it so she will not here before your grace In such a presence here to plead my thoughts:
Consent to marry with Demetrius, But I beseech your grace that I may know
I beg the ancient privilege of Athens,— The worst that may befall me in this case
As she is mine I may dispose of her: If I refuse to wed Demetrius.
Which shall be either to this gentleman
THESEUS
Or to her death; according to our law
Either to die the death, or to abjure
Immediately provided in that case.
For ever the society of men.
THESEUS Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires,
What say you, Hermia? be advis’d, fair maid: Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
To you your father should be as a god; Whether, if you yield not to your father’s choice,
One that compos’d your beauties: yea, and one You can endure the livery of a nun;
To whom you are but as a form in wax, For aye to be shady cloister mew’d,
By him imprinted, and within his power To live a barren sister all your life,
To leave the figure, or disfigure it. Chanting faint hymns to the cold, fruitless moon.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman. Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage:
HERMIA
But earthlier happy is the rose distill’d
So is Lysander.
Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn,
THESEUS Grows, lives, and dies, in single blessedness.
In himself he is:
HERMIA
But, in this kind, wanting your father’s voice,
So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,
The other must be held the worthier.
Ere I will yield my virgin patent up
HERMIA Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke
I would my father look’d but with my eyes. My soul consents not to give sovereignty.
THESEUS THESEUS
Rather your eyes must with his judgment look. Take time to pause; and by the next new moon,—
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HERMIA The sealing-day betwixt my love and me


I do entreat your grace to pardon me. For everlasting bond of fellowship,—
I know not by what power I am made bold, Upon that day either prepare to die
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For disobedience to your father’s will; And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof;
Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would; But, being over-full of self-affairs,
Or on Diana’s altar to protest My mind did lose it.—But, Demetrius, come;
For aye austerity and single life. And come, Egeus; you shall go with me;
I have some private schooling for you both.—
DEMETRIUS
For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself
Relent, sweet Hermia;—and, Lysander, yield
To fit your fancies to your father’s will,
Thy crazed title to my certain right.
Or else the law of Athens yields you up,—
LYSANDER Which by no means we may extenuate,—
You have her father’s love, Demetrius; To death, or to a vow of single life.—
Let me have Hermia’s: do you marry him. Come, my Hippolyta: what cheer, my love?
EGEUS Demetrius, and Egeus, go along;
Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love; I must employ you in some business
And what is mine my love shall render him; Against our nuptial, and confer with you
And she is mine; and all my right of her Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.
I do estate unto Demetrius. EGEUS
LYSANDER With duty and desire we follow you.
I am, my lord, as well deriv’d as he, [Exeunt THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, DEMETRIUS,
As well possess’d; my love is more than his; and Train.]
My fortunes every way as fairly rank’d,
LYSANDER
If not with vantage, as Demetrius’s;
How now, my love! why is your cheek so pale?
And, which is more than all these boasts can be,
How chance the roses there do fade so fast?
I am belov’d of beauteous Hermia:
Why should not I then prosecute my right? HERMIA
Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head, Belike for want of rain, which I could well
Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena, Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.
And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes, LYSANDER
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Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, Ah me! for aught that I could ever read,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man. Could ever hear by tale or history,
THESEUS The course of true love never did run smooth:
I must confess that I have heard so much, But either it was different in blood,—
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HERMIA I have a widow aunt, a dowager


O cross! Too high to be enthrall’d to low! Of great revenue, and she hath no child:
From Athens is her house remote seven leagues;
LYSANDER
And she respects me as her only son.
Or else misgraffed in respect of years;—
There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;
HERMIA And to that place the sharp Athenian law
O spite! Too old to be engag’d to young! Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me then,
LYSANDER Steal forth thy father’s house tomorrow night;
Or else it stood upon the choice of friends: And in the wood, a league without the town,
Where I did meet thee once with Helena,
HERMIA
To do observance to a morn of May,
O hell! to choose love by another’s eye!
There will I stay for thee.
LYSANDER
HERMIA
Or, if there were a sympathy in choice,
My good Lysander!
War, death, or sickness, did lay siege to it,
I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow,
Making it momentary as a sound,
By his best arrow, with the golden head,
Swift as a shadow, short as any dream;
By the simplicity of Venus’ doves,
Brief as the lightning in the collied night
By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,
That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth,
And by that fire which burn’d the Carthage queen,
And ere a man hath power to say, Behold!
When the false Trojan under sail was seen,—
The jaws of darkness do devour it up:
By all the vows that ever men have broke,
So quick bright things come to confusion.
In number more than ever women spoke,—
HERMIA In that same place thou hast appointed me,
If then true lovers have ever cross’d, Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.
It stands as an edict in destiny:
LYSANDER
Then let us teach our trial patience,
Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.
Because it is a customary cross;
As due to love as thoughts, and dreams, and sighs, [Enter HELENA.]
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Wishes and tears, poor fancy’s followers. HERMIA


LYSANDER God speed fair Helena! Whither away?
A good persuasion; therefore, hear me, Hermia. HELENA
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Call you me fair? that fair again unsay. None, but your beauty: would that fault were mine!
Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair!
HERMIA
Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue’s sweet air
Take comfort; he no more shall see my face;
More tuneable than lark to shepherd’s ear,
Lysander and myself will fly this place.—
When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.
Before the time I did Lysander see,
Sickness is catching: O, were favour so,
Seem’d Athens as a paradise to me:
Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go;
O, then, what graces in my love do dwell,
My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,
That he hath turn’d a heaven unto hell!
My tongue should catch your tongue’s sweet melody.
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, LYSANDER
The rest I’d give to be to you translated. Helen, to you our minds we will unfold:
O, teach me how you look; and with what art To-morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold
You sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart! Her silver visage in the watery glass,
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass,—
HERMIA
A time that lovers’ flights doth still conceal,—
I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.
Through Athens’ gates have we devis’d to steal.
HELENA
HERMIA
O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!
And in the wood where often you and I
HERMIA Upon faint primrose beds were wont to lie,
I give him curses, yet he gives me love. Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet,
There my Lysander and myself shall meet:
HELENA
And thence from Athens turn away our eyes,
O that my prayers could such affection move!
To seek new friends and stranger companies.
HERMIA Farewell, sweet playfellow: pray thou for us,
The more I hate, the more he follows me. And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius!—
HELENA Keep word, Lysander: we must starve our sight
The more I love, the more he hateth me. From lovers’ food, till morrow deep midnight.
Contents

HERMIA LYSANDER
His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine. I will, my Hermia.

HELENA [Exit HERMIA.]


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LYSANDER [Exit HELENA.]


Helena, adieu:
As you on him, Demetrius dote on you! Scene II. The Same. A Room in a Cottage.
[Exit LYSANDER.] [Enter SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, QUINCE, and
STARVELING.]
HELENA
How happy some o’er other some can be! QUINCE
Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. Is all our company here?
But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so; BOTTOM
He will not know what all but he do know. You were best to call them generally, man by man,
And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes, according to the scrip.
So I, admiring of his qualities.
QUINCE
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Here is the scroll of every man’s name, which is thought
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
duke and duchess on his wedding-day at night.
And therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blind.
Nor hath love’s mind of any judgment taste; BOTTOM
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste: First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on;
And therefore is love said to be a child, then read the names of the actors; and so grow to a point.
Because in choice he is so oft beguil’d. QUINCE
As waggish boys in game themselves forswear, Marry, our play is—The most lamentable comedy and most
So the boy Love is perjur’d everywhere: cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.
For ere Demetrius look’d on Hermia’s eyne,
He hail’d down oaths that he was only mine; BOTTOM
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt, A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a merry.—
So he dissolv’d, and showers of oaths did melt. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scroll.—
I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight; Masters, spread yourselves.
Then to the wood will he to-morrow night QUINCE
Contents

Pursue her; and for this intelligence Answer, as I call you.—Nick Bottom, the weaver.
If I have thanks, it is a dear expense:
BOTTOM
But herein mean I to enrich my pain,
Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed.
To have his sight thither and back again.
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QUINCE FLUTE
You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus. What is Thisby? a wandering knight?
BOTTOM QUINCE
What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant? It is the lady that Pyramus must love.
QUINCE FLUTE
A lover, that kills himself most gallantly for love. Nay, faith, let not me play a woman; I have a beard coming.
BOTTOM QUINCE
That will ask some tears in the true performing of it. That’s all one; you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as
If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move small as you will.
storms; I will condole in some measure. To the rest:—yet my
BOTTOM
chief humour is for a tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a
An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too:
part to tear a cat in, to make all split.
I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice;—’Thisne, Thisne!’—
The raging rocks ‘Ah, Pyramus, my lover dear; thy Thisby dear! and lady dear!’
And shivering shocks
QUINCE
Shall break the locks
No, no, you must play Pyramus; and, Flute, you Thisby.
Of prison gates:
BOTTOM
And Phibbus’ car
Well, proceed.
Shall shine from far,
And make and mar QUINCE
The foolish Fates. Robin Starveling, the tailor.

This was lofty.—Now name the rest of the players.—This is STARVELING


Ercles’ vein, a tyrant’s vein;—a lover is more condoling. Here, Peter Quince.

QUINCE QUINCE
Francis Flute, the bellows-mender. Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby’s mother.—
Tom Snout, the tinker.
FLUTE
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Here, Peter Quince. SNOUT


Here, Peter Quince.
QUINCE
Flute, you must take Thisby on you. QUINCE
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You, Pyramus’ father; myself, Thisby’s father;—Snug, BOTTOM


the joiner, you, the lion’s part:—and, I hope, here is a play Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to play it in?
fitted.
QUINCE
SNUG Why, what you will.
Have you the lion’s part written? pray you, if it be, give it
BOTTOM
me, for I am slow of study.
I will discharge it in either your straw-colour beard,
QUINCE your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your
You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring. French-crown-colour beard, your perfect yellow.
BOTTOM QUINCE
Let me play the lion too: I will roar that I will do Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and
any man’s heart good to hear me; I will roar that I will make the then you will play bare-faced.— But, masters, here are your
duke say ‘Let him roar again, let him roar again.’ parts: and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to
con them by to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a
QUINCE
mile without the town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse: for
An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the
if we meet in the city, we shall be dogg’d with company, and our
duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were
devices known. In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties,
enough to hang us all.
such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not.
ALL
BOTTOM
That would hang us every mother’s son.
We will meet; and there we may rehearse most obscenely
BOTTOM and courageously. Take pains; be perfect; adieu.
I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies
QUINCE
out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang
At the duke’s oak we meet.
us: but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as
gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an ‘twere any BOTTOM
nightingale. Enough; hold, or cut bow-strings.
QUINCE [Exeunt.]
Contents

You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a


sweet-faced man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer’s
day; a most lovely gentleman-like man; therefore you must
needs play Pyramus.
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PUCK
The king doth keep his revels here to-night;
Take heed the Queen come not within his sight.
For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,
Because that she, as her attendant, hath
A lovely boy, stol’n from an Indian king;
She never had so sweet a changeling:

Act 2. And jealous Oberon would have the child


Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild:
But she perforce withholds the loved boy,
Scene I. A wood near Athens. Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy:
[Enter a FAIRY at One door, and PUCK at another.] And now they never meet in grove or green,
PUCK By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,
How now, spirit! whither wander you? But they do square; that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups, and hide them there.
FAIRY
Over hill, over dale, FAIRY
Thorough bush, thorough brier, Either I mistake your shape and making quite,
Over park, over pale, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
Thorough flood, thorough fire, Call’d Robin Goodfellow: are not you he
I do wander everywhere, That frights the maidens of the villagery;
Swifter than the moon’s sphere; Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern,
And I serve the fairy queen, And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;
To dew her orbs upon the green. And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;
The cowslips tall her pensioners be: Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?
In their gold coats spots you see; Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck,
Those be rubies, fairy favours, You do their work, and they shall have good luck:
In those freckles live their savours; Are not you he?
Contents

I must go seek some dew-drops here, PUCK


And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear. Thou speak’st aright;
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I’ll be gone: I am that merry wanderer of the night.
Our queen and all her elves come here anon. I jest to Oberon, and make him smile,
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When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile, Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love
Neighing in likeness of a filly foal; To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here,
And sometime lurk I in a gossip’s bowl, Come from the farthest steep of India,
In very likeness of a roasted crab; But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon,
And, when she drinks, against her lips I bob, Your buskin’d mistress and your warrior love,
And on her withered dewlap pour the ale. To Theseus must be wedded; and you come
The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, To give their bed joy and prosperity.
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me;
OBERON
Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,
How canst thou thus, for shame, Titania,
And ‘tailor’ cries, and falls into a cough;
Glance at my credit with Hippolyta,
And then the whole quire hold their hips and loffe,
Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?
And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear
Didst not thou lead him through the glimmering night
A merrier hour was never wasted there.—
From Perigenia, whom he ravish’d?
But room, fairy, here comes Oberon.
And make him with fair Aegle break his faith,
FAIRY With Ariadne and Antiopa?
And here my mistress.—Would that he were gone!
TITANIA
[Enter OBERON at one door, with his Train, and TITANIA, These are the forgeries of jealousy:
at another, with hers.] And never, since the middle summer’s spring,
OBERON Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead,
Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania. By paved fountain, or by rushy brook,
Or on the beached margent of the sea,
TITANIA To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind,
What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence; But with thy brawls thou hast disturb’d our sport.
I have forsworn his bed and company. Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain,
OBERON As in revenge, have suck’d up from the sea
Tarry, rash wanton: am not I thy lord? Contagious fogs; which, falling in the land,
Hath every pelting river made so proud
TITANIA
Contents

That they have overborne their continents:


Then I must be thy lady; but I know
The ox hath therefore stretch’d his yoke in vain,
When thou hast stol’n away from fairy-land,
The ploughman lost his sweat; and the green corn
And in the shape of Corin sat all day,
Hath rotted ere his youth attain’d a beard:
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The fold stands empty in the drowned field, And, in the spiced Indian air, by night,
And crows are fatted with the murrion flock; Full often hath she gossip’d by my side;
The nine men’s morris is fill’d up with mud; And sat with me on Neptune’s yellow sands,
And the quaint mazes in the wanton green, Marking the embarked traders on the flood;
For lack of tread, are undistinguishable: When we have laugh’d to see the sails conceive,
The human mortals want their winter here; And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind;
No night is now with hymn or carol blest:— Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait
Therefore the moon, the governess of floods, Following,—her womb then rich with my young squire,—
Pale in her anger, washes all the air, Would imitate; and sail upon the land,
That rheumatic diseases do abound: To fetch me trifles, and return again,
And thorough this distemperature we see As from a voyage, rich with merchandise.
The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts But she, being mortal, of that boy did die;
Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose; And for her sake do I rear up her boy:
And on old Hyem’s thin and icy crown And for her sake I will not part with him.
An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds
OBERON
Is, as in mockery, set: the spring, the summer,
How long within this wood intend you stay?
The childing autumn, angry winter, change
Their wonted liveries; and the maz’d world, TITANIA
By their increase, now knows not which is which: Perchance till after Theseus’ wedding-day.
And this same progeny of evils comes If you will patiently dance in our round,
From our debate, from our dissension: And see our moonlight revels, go with us;
We are their parents and original. If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.

OBERON OBERON
Do you amend it, then: it lies in you: Give me that boy and I will go with thee.
Why should Titania cross her Oberon? TITANIA
I do but beg a little changeling boy Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away:
To be my henchman. We shall chide downright if I longer stay.
Contents

TITANIA [Exit TITANIA with her Train.]


Set your heart at rest;
OBERON
The fairy-land buys not the child of me.
Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this grove
His mother was a vot’ress of my order:
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Till I torment thee for this injury.— PUCK


My gentle Puck, come hither: thou remember’st I’ll put a girdle round about the earth
Since once I sat upon a promontory, In forty minutes.
And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin’s back, [Exit PUCK.]
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath,
That the rude sea grew civil at her song, OBERON
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres Having once this juice,
To hear the sea-maid’s music. I’ll watch Titania when she is asleep,
And drop the liquor of it in her eyes:
PUCK The next thing then she waking looks upon,—
I remember. Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull,
OBERON On meddling monkey, or on busy ape,—
That very time I saw,—but thou couldst not,— She shall pursue it with the soul of love.
Flying between the cold moon and the earth, And ere I take this charm from off her sight,—
Cupid, all arm’d: a certain aim he took As I can take it with another herb,
At a fair vestal, throned by the west; I’ll make her render up her page to me.
And loos’d his love-shaft smartly from his bow, But who comes here? I am invisible;
As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts; And I will overhear their conference.
But I might see young Cupid’s fiery shaft [Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him.]
Quench’d in the chaste beams of the watery moon;
DEMETRIUS
And the imperial votaress passed on,
I love thee not, therefore pursue me not.
In maiden meditation, fancy-free.
Where is Lysander and fair Hermia?
Yet mark’d I where the bolt of Cupid fell:
The one I’ll slay, the other slayeth me.
It fell upon a little western flower,—
Thou told’st me they were stol’n into this wood,
Before milk-white, now purple with love’s wound,—
And here am I, and wode within this wood,
And maidens call it love-in-idleness.
Because I cannot meet with Hermia.
Fetch me that flower, the herb I showed thee once:
Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.
The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid
Contents

Will make or man or woman madly dote HELENA


Upon the next live creature that it sees. You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant;
Fetch me this herb: and be thou here again But yet you draw not iron, for my heart
Ere the leviathan can swim a league. Is true as steel. Leave you your power to draw,
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And I shall have no power to follow you. It is not night when I do see your face,
Therefore I think I am not in the night;
DEMETRIUS
Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company;
Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair?
For you, in my respect, are all the world:
Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth
Then how can it be said I am alone
Tell you I do not, nor I cannot love you?
When all the world is here to look on me?
HELENA
DEMETRIUS
And even for that do I love you the more.
I’ll run from thee, and hide me in the brakes,
I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius,
And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts.
The more you beat me, I will fawn on you:
Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, HELENA
Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, The wildest hath not such a heart as you.
Unworthy as I am, to follow you. Run when you will, the story shall be chang’d;
What worser place can I beg in your love, Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase;
And yet a place of high respect with me,— The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind
Than to be used as you use your dog? Makes speed to catch the tiger,—bootless speed,
When cowardice pursues and valour flies.
DEMETRIUS
Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; DEMETRIUS
For I am sick when I do look on thee. I will not stay thy questions; let me go:
Or, if thou follow me, do not believe
HELENA
But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.
And I am sick when I look not on you.
HELENA
DEMETRIUS
Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field,
You do impeach your modesty too much,
You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius!
To leave the city, and commit yourself
Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex:
Into the hands of one that loves you not;
We cannot fight for love as men may do:
To trust the opportunity of night,
We should be woo’d, and were not made to woo.
And the ill counsel of a desert place,
Contents

I’ll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell,


With the rich worth of your virginity.
To die upon the hand I love so well.
HELENA
[Exeunt DEMETRIUS and HELENA.]
Your virtue is my privilege for that.
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OBERON [Exeunt.]
Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove,
Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love.— Scene II. Another part of the wood.
[Re-enter PUCK.] [Enter TITANIA, with her Train.]
Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer. TITANIA
Come, now a roundel and a fairy song;
PUCK
Then, for the third part of a minute, hence;
Ay, there it is.
Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds;
OBERON Some war with rere-mice for their leathern wings,
I pray thee give it me. To make my small elves coats; and some keep back
I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots and wonders
Where ox-lips and the nodding violet grows; At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep;
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, Then to your offices, and let me rest.
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine:
SONG.
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
I.
Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enamell’d skin, FIRST FAIRY
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in: You spotted snakes, with double tongue,
And with the juice of this I’ll streak her eyes, Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;
And make her full of hateful fantasies. Newts and blind-worms do no wrong;
Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove: Come not near our fairy queen:
A sweet Athenian lady is in love CHORUS.
With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes; Philomel, with melody,
But do it when the next thing he espies Sing in our sweet lullaby:
May be the lady: thou shalt know the man Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby:
By the Athenian garments he hath on. Never harm, nor spell, nor charm,
Effect it with some care, that he may prove Come our lovely lady nigh;
More fond on her than she upon her love: So good-night, with lullaby.
Contents

And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.


II.
PUCK SECOND FAIRY
Fear not, my lord; your servant shall do so. Weaving spiders, come not here;
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Hence, you long-legg’d spinners, hence; Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed,
Beetles black, approach not near; For I upon this bank will rest my head.
Worm nor snail do no offence.
LYSANDER
CHORUS One turf shall serve as pillow for us both;
Philomel with melody, &c. One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth.

FIRST FAIRY HERMIA


Hence away; now all is well. Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear,
One, aloof, stand sentinel. Lie farther off yet, do not lie so near.
[Exeunt Fairies. TITANIA sleeps.] LYSANDER
[Enter OBERON.] O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence;
Love takes the meaning in love’s conference.
OBERON I mean that my heart unto yours is knit;
What thou seest when thou dost wake, So that but one heart we can make of it:
[Squeezes the flower on TITANIA’S eyelids.] Two bosoms interchained with an oath;
Do it for thy true-love take; So then two bosoms and a single troth.
Love and languish for his sake; Then by your side no bed-room me deny;
Be it ounce, or cat, or bear, For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.
Pard, or boar with bristled hair,
In thy eye that shall appear HERMIA
When thou wak’st, it is thy dear; Lysander riddles very prettily:—
Wake when some vile thing is near. Now much beshrew my manners and my pride
If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied!
[Exit.]
But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy
[Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA.] Lie further off; in human modesty,
LYSANDER Such separation as may well be said
Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood; Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid:
And, to speak troth, I have forgot our way; So far be distant; and good night, sweet friend:
Contents

We’ll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, Thy love ne’er alter till thy sweet life end!
And tarry for the comfort of the day. LYSANDER
HERMIA Amen, amen, to that fair prayer say I;
And then end life when I end loyalty!
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Here is my bed: Sleep give thee all his rest! I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.
HERMIA HELENA
With half that wish the wisher’s eyes be pressed! O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so.
[They sleep.] DEMETRIUS.
[Enter PUCK.] Stay on thy peril; I alone will go.
PUCK [Exit DEMETRIUS.]
Through the forest have I gone, HELENA
But Athenian found I none, O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!
On whose eyes I might approve The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.
This flower’s force in stirring love. Happy is Hermia, wheresoe’er she lies,
Night and silence! Who is here? For she hath blessed and attractive eyes.
Weeds of Athens he doth wear: How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears:
This is he, my master said, If so, my eyes are oftener wash’d than hers.
Despised the Athenian maid; No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;
And here the maiden, sleeping sound, For beasts that meet me run away for fear:
On the dank and dirty ground. Therefore no marvel though Demetrius
Pretty soul! she durst not lie Do, as a monster, fly my presence thus.
Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy. What wicked and dissembling glass of mine
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw Made me compare with Hermia’s sphery eyne?—
All the power this charm doth owe; But who is here?—Lysander! on the ground!
When thou wak’st let love forbid Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.
Sleep his seat on thy eyelid: Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.
So awake when I am gone;
LYSANDER
For I must now to Oberon.
[Waking.]
[Exit.] And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.
[Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running.] Transparent Helena! Nature shows art,
Contents

HELENA That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.


Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word
Is that vile name to perish on my sword!
DEMETRIUS
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HELENA
LYSANDER
Do not say so, Lysander; say not so:
She sees not Hermia:—Hermia, sleep thou there;
What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though?
And never mayst thou come Lysander near!
Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content.
For, as a surfeit of the sweetest things
LYSANDER. The deepest loathing to the stomach brings;
Content with Hermia? No: I do repent Or, as the heresies that men do leave
The tedious minutes I with her have spent. Are hated most of those they did deceive;
Not Hermia but Helena I love: So thou, my surfeit and my heresy,
Who will not change a raven for a dove? Of all be hated, but the most of me!
The will of man is by his reason sway’d; And, all my powers, address your love and might
And reason says you are the worthier maid. To honour Helen, and to be her knight!
Things growing are not ripe until their season; [Exit.]
So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason;
And touching now the point of human skill, HERMIA
Reason becomes the marshal to my will, [Starting.]
And leads me to your eyes, where I o’erlook Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best
Love’s stories, written in love’s richest book. To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!
Ay me, for pity!—What a dream was here!
HELENA Lysander, look how I do quake with fear!
Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? Methought a serpent eat my heart away,
When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? And you sat smiling at his cruel prey.—
Is’t not enough, is’t not enough, young man, Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! lord!
That I did never, no, nor never can What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?
Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius’ eye, Alack, where are you? speak, an if you hear;
But you must flout my insufficiency? Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.
Good troth, you do me wrong,—good sooth, you do— No?—then I well perceive you are not nigh:
In such disdainful manner me to woo. Either death or you I’ll find immediately.
But fare you well: perforce I must confess,
[Exit.]
Contents

I thought you lord of more true gentleness.


O, that a lady of one man refus’d
Should of another therefore be abus’d!
[Exit.]
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STARVELING
I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.
BOTTOM
Not a whit: I have a device to make all well. Write me a
prologue; and let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm
with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed; and for

Act 3. the more better assurance, tell them that I Pyramus am not
Pyramus but Bottom the weaver: this will put them out of fear.

Scene I. The Wood. The Queen of Fairies lying asleep. QUINCE


Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be
[Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and
written in eight and six.
STARVELING.]
BOTTOM
BOTTOM
No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and eight.
Are we all met?
SNOUT
QUINCE
Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?
Pat, pat; and here’s a marvellous convenient place for our
rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn STARVELING
brake our tiring-house; and we will do it in action, as we will I fear it, I promise you.
do it before the duke. BOTTOM
BOTTOM Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves: to bring in,
Peter Quince,— God shield us! a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing:
for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living;
QUINCE
and we ought to look to it.
What sayest thou, bully Bottom?
SNOUT
BOTTOM
Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion.
There are things in this comedy of ‘Pyramus and Thisby’ that
Contents

will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill BOTTOM
himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen
through the lion’s neck; and he himself must speak through,
SNOUT
saying thus, or to the same defect,—’Ladies,’ or, ‘Fair ladies, I
By’r lakin, a parlous fear.
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would wish you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat you, BOTTOM
not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I Some man or other must present wall: and let him have
come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life. No, I am no such some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to
thing; I am a man as other men are:’—and there, indeed, let him signify wall; and let him hold his fingers thus, and through that
name his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner. cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.
QUINCE QUINCE
Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things; that If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every
is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber: for, you know, mother’s son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin:
Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight. when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake; and so
every one according to his cue.
SNOUT
Doth the moon shine that night we play our play? [Enter PUCK behind.]

BOTTOM PUCK
A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here,
moonshine, find out moonshine. So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
What, a play toward! I’ll be an auditor;
QUINCE
An actor too perhaps, if I see cause.
Yes, it doth shine that night.
QUINCE
BOTTOM
Speak, Pyramus.—Thisby, stand forth.
Why, then may you leave a casement of the great chamber-
window, PYRAMUS
where we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the case- ‘Thisby, the flowers of odious savours sweet,’
ment. QUINCE
QUINCE Odours, odours.
Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a PYRAMUS
lantern, and say he comes to disfigure or to present the person ‘—odours savours sweet:
of moonshine. Then there is another thing: we must have a So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisby dear.—
wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the
Contents

But hark, a voice! stay thou but here awhile,


story, did talk through the chink of a wall. And by and by I will to thee appear.’
SNOUT [Exit.]
You can never bring in a wall.—What say you, Bottom?
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PUCK PUCK
A stranger Pyramus than e’er played here! I’ll follow you; I’ll lead you about a round,
[Aside.—Exit.] Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier;
Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound,
THISBE A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;
Must I speak now? And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,
QUINCE Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.
Ay, marry, must you: for you must understand he goes [Exit.]
but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again.
BOTTOM
THISBE Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make
‘Most radiant Pyramus, most lily white of hue, me afeard.
Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier,
[Re-enter SNOUT.]
Most brisky juvenal, and eke most lovely Jew,
As true as truest horse, that would never tire, SNOUT
I’ll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny’s tomb.’ O Bottom, thou art changed! What do I see on thee?

QUINCE BOTTOM
Ninus’ tomb, man: why, you must not speak that yet: What do you see? you see an ass-head of your own, do you?
that you answer to Pyramus. You speak all your part at once, [Re-enter QUINCE.]
cues, and all.—Pyramus enter: your cue is past; it is ‘never
QUINCE
tire.’
Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated.
[Re-enter PUCK, and BOTTOM with an ass’s head.]
[Exit.]
THISBE
BOTTOM
O,’—As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.’
I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me; to
PYRAMUS fright me, if they could. But I will not stir from this
‘If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine:—’ place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here,
QUINCE and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.
Contents

O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters! [Sings.]


fly, masters! Help! The ousel cock, so black of hue,
[Exeunt Clowns.] With orange-tawny bill,
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The throstle with his note so true, Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of
The wren with little quill. this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.
TITANIA TITANIA
[Waking.] Out of this wood do not desire to go;
What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no.
I am a spirit of no common rate,—
BOTTOM
The summer still doth tend upon my state;
[Sings.]
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me,
The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee;
The plain-song cuckoo gray,
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
Whose note full many a man doth mark,
And sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep:
And dares not answer nay;—
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird?
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.—
Who would give a bird the lie, though he cry ‘cuckoo’ never so?
Peasblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!
TITANIA
[Enter Four Fairies.]
I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again;
Mine ear is much enamour’d of thy note. FIRST FAIRY
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; Ready.
And thy fair virtue’s force perforce doth move me, SECOND FAIRY
On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee. And I.
BOTTOM THIRD FAIRY
Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for And I.
that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little
company together now-a-days: the more the pity that some FOURTH FAIRY
honest Where shall we go?
neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon TITANIA
occasion. Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;
Contents

TITANIA Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes;


Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful. Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
BOTTOM The honey bags steal from the humble-bees,
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And, for night-tapers, crop their waxen thighs, shall desire you of more acquaintance too.—Your name, I beseech
And light them at the fiery glow-worm’s eyes, you, sir?
To have my love to bed and to arise;
MUSTARDSEED
And pluck the wings from painted butterflies,
Mustardseed.
To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies. BOTTOM
Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well:
FIRST FAIRY
That same cowardly giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a
Hail, mortal!
gentleman of your house: I promise you your kindred hath made
SECOND FAIRY my eyes water ere now. I desire you of more acquaintance, good
Hail! Master Mustardseed.
THIRD FAIRY TITANIA
Hail! Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower.
The moon, methinks, looks with a watery eye;
FOURTH FAIRY
And when she weeps, weeps every little flower;
Hail!
Lamenting some enforcèd chastity.
BOTTOM Tie up my love’s tongue, bring him silently.
I cry your worships mercy, heartily.—I beseech your
[Exeunt.]
worship’s name.
COBWEB Scene II. Another part of the wood.
Cobweb. [Enter OBERON.]
BOTTOM OBERON
I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb. If I I wonder if Titania be awak’d;
cut my finger, I shall make bold with you.—Your name, honest Then, what it was that next came in her eye,
gentleman? Which she must dote on in extremity.
PEASBLOSSOM [Enter PUCK.]
Peasblossom. Here comes my messenger.—How now, mad spirit?
Contents

BOTTOM What night-rule now about this haunted grove?


I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and PUCK
to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peasblossom, I My mistress with a monster is in love.
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Near to her close and consecrated bower, With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do?
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
PUCK
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
I took him sleeping,—that is finish’d too,—
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
And the Athenian woman by his side;
Were met together to rehearse a play
That, when he wak’d, of force she must be ey’d.
Intended for great Theseus’ nuptial day.
The shallowest thickskin of that barren sort [Enter DEMETRIUS and HERMIA.]
Who Pyramus presented in their sport, OBERON
Forsook his scene and enter’d in a brake; Stand close; this is the same Athenian.
When I did him at this advantage take,
PUCK
An ass’s nowl I fixèd on his head;
This is the woman, but not this the man.
Anon, his Thisbe must be answered,
And forth my mimic comes. When they him spy, DEMETRIUS
As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye, O, why rebuke you him that loves you so?
Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort, Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe.
Rising and cawing at the gun’s report, HERMIA
Sever themselves and madly sweep the sky, Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse;
So at his sight away his fellows fly: For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse.
And at our stamp here, o’er and o’er one falls; If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep,
He murder cries, and help from Athens calls. Being o’er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep,
Their sense thus weak, lost with their fears, thus strong, And kill me too.
Made senseless things begin to do them wrong; The sun was not so true unto the day
For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch; As he to me: would he have stol’n away
Some sleeves, some hats: from yielders all things catch. From sleeping Hermia? I’ll believe as soon
I led them on in this distracted fear, This whole earth may be bor’d; and that the moon
And left sweet Pyramus translated there: May through the centre creep and so displease
When in that moment,—so it came to pass,— Her brother’s noontide with the antipodes.
Titania wak’d, and straightway lov’d an ass. It cannot be but thou hast murder’d him;
Contents

OBERON So should a murderer look; so dead, so grim.


This falls out better than I could devise. DEMETRIUS
But hast thou yet latch’d the Athenian’s eyes So should the murder’d look; and so should I,
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Pierc’d through the heart with your stern cruelty: See me no more whether he be dead or no.
Yet you, the murderer, look as bright, as clear, [Exit.]
As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere.
DEMETRIUS
HERMIA There is no following her in this fierce vein:
What’s this to my Lysander? where is he? Here, therefore, for a while I will remain.
Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me? So sorrow’s heaviness doth heavier grow
DEMETRIUS For debt that bankrupt sleep doth sorrow owe;
I had rather give his carcass to my hounds. Which now in some slight measure it will pay,
If for his tender here I make some stay.
HERMIA
Out, dog! out, cur! thou driv’st me past the bounds [Lies down.]
Of maiden’s patience. Hast thou slain him, then? OBERON
Henceforth be never number’d among men! What hast thou done? thou hast mistaken quite,
Oh! once tell true; tell true, even for my sake; And laid the love-juice on some true-love’s sight:
Durst thou have look’d upon him, being awake, Of thy misprision must perforce ensue
And hast thou kill’d him sleeping? O brave touch! Some true love turn’d, and not a false turn’d true.
Could not a worm, an adder, do so much?
PUCK
An adder did it; for with doubler tongue
Then fate o’er-rules, that, one man holding troth,
Than thine, thou serpent, never adder stung.
A million fail, confounding oath on oath.
DEMETRIUS
OBERON
You spend your passion on a mispris’d mood:
About the wood go, swifter than the wind,
I am not guilty of Lysander’s blood;
And Helena of Athens look thou find:
Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell.
All fancy-sick she is, and pale of cheer,
HERMIA With sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear.
I pray thee, tell me, then, that he is well. By some illusion see thou bring her here;
DEMETRIUS I’ll charm his eyes against she do appear.
An if I could, what should I get therefore? PUCK
Contents

HERMIA I go, I go; look how I go,—


A privilege never to see me more.— Swifter than arrow from the Tartar’s bow.
And from thy hated presence part I so: [Exit.]
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OBERON In their nativity all truth appears.
Flower of this purple dye, How can these things in me seem scorn to you,
Hit with Cupid’s archery, Bearing the badge of faith, to prove them true?
Sink in apple of his eye!
HELENA
When his love he doth espy,
You do advance your cunning more and more.
Let her shine as gloriously
When truth kills truth, O devilish-holy fray!
As the Venus of the sky.—
These vows are Hermia’s: will you give her o’er?
When thou wak’st, if she be by,
Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh:
Beg of her for remedy.
Your vows to her and me, put in two scales,
[Re-enter PUCK.] Will even weigh; and both as light as tales.
PUCK LYSANDER
Captain of our fairy band, I had no judgment when to her I swore.
Helena is here at hand,
HELENA
And the youth mistook by me
Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o’er.
Pleading for a lover’s fee;
Shall we their fond pageant see? LYSANDER
Lord, what fools these mortals be! Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.
OBERON DEMETRIUS
Stand aside: the noise they make [Awaking.]
Will cause Demetrius to awake. O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!
To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
PUCK
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show
Then will two at once woo one,—
Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!
That must needs be sport alone;
That pure congealed white, high Taurus’ snow,
And those things do best please me
Fann’d with the eastern wind, turns to a crow
That befall preposterously.
When thou hold’st up thy hand: O, let me kiss
[Enter LYSANDER and HELENA.] This princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!
Contents

LYSANDER HELENA
Why should you think that I should woo in scorn? O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent
Scorn and derision never come in tears. To set against me for your merriment.
Look when I vow, I weep; and vows so born,
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If you were civil, and knew courtesy, LYSANDER
You would not do me thus much injury. Helen, it is not so.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
DEMETRIUS
But you must join in souls to mock me too?
Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,
If you were men, as men you are in show,
Lest, to thy peril, thou aby it dear.—
You would not use a gentle lady so;
Look where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear.
To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts,
When I am sure you hate me with your hearts. [Enter HERMIA.]
You both are rivals, and love Hermia; HERMIA
And now both rivals, to mock Helena: Dark night, that from the eye his function takes,
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise, The ear more quick of apprehension makes;
To conjure tears up in a poor maid’s eyes Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense,
With your derision! None of noble sort It pays the hearing double recompense:—
Would so offend a virgin, and extort Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found;
A poor soul’s patience, all to make you sport. Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound.
LYSANDER But why unkindly didst thou leave me so?
You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so; LYSANDER
For you love Hermia: this you know I know: Why should he stay whom love doth press to go?
And here, with all good will, with all my heart,
HERMIA
In Hermia’s love I yield you up my part;
What love could press Lysander from my side?
And yours of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love and will do till my death. LYSANDER
Lysander’s love, that would not let him bide,—
HELENA
Fair Helena,—who more engilds the night
Never did mockers waste more idle breath.
Than all yon fiery oes and eyes of light.
DEMETRIUS Why seek’st thou me? could not this make thee know
Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none: The hate I bare thee made me leave thee so?
If e’er I lov’d her, all that love is gone.
Contents

HERMIA
My heart to her but as guest-wise sojourn’d;
You speak not as you think; it cannot be.
And now to Helen is it home return’d,
There to remain. HELENA
Lo, she is one of this confederacy!
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Now I perceive they have conjoin’d all three Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,
To fashion this false sport in spite of me. To follow me, and praise my eyes and face?
Injurious Hermia! most ungrateful maid! And made your other love, Demetrius,—
Have you conspir’d, have you with these contriv’d, Who even but now did spurn me with his foot,—
To bait me with this foul derision? To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare,
Is all the counsel that we two have shar’d, Precious, celestial? Wherefore speaks he this
The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent, To her he hates? and wherefore doth Lysander
When we have chid the hasty-footed time Deny your love, so rich within his soul,
For parting us,—O, is all forgot? And tender me, forsooth, affection,
All school-days’ friendship, childhood innocence? But by your setting on, by your consent?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods, What though I be not so in grace as you,
Have with our needles created both one flower, So hung upon with love, so fortunate;
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion, But miserable most, to love unlov’d?
Both warbling of one song, both in one key; This you should pity rather than despise.
As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds,
HERMIA
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
I understand not what you mean by this.
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted;
But yet a union in partition, HELENA
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem: Ay, do persever, counterfeit sad looks,
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart; Make mows upon me when I turn my back;
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry, Wink each at other; hold the sweet jest up:
Due but to one, and crowned with one crest. This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled.
And will you rent our ancient love asunder, If you have any pity, grace, or manners,
To join with men in scorning your poor friend? You would not make me such an argument.
It is not friendly, ’tis not maidenly: But fare ye well: ’tis partly my own fault;
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it, Which death, or absence, soon shall remedy.
Though I alone do feel the injury. LYSANDER
HERMIA Stay, gentle Helena; hear my excuse;
Contents

I am amazed at your passionate words: My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena!


I scorn you not; it seems that you scorn me. HELENA
HELENA O excellent!
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HERMIA Why are you grown so rude? what change is this,
Sweet, do not scorn her so. Sweet love?
DEMETRIUS LYSANDER
If she cannot entreat, I can compel. Thy love! out, tawny Tartar, out!
Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence!
LYSANDER
Thou canst compel no more than she entreat; HERMIA
Thy threats have no more strength than her weak prayers.— Do you not jest?
Helen, I love thee; by my life I do;
HELENA
I swear by that which I will lose for thee
Yes, sooth; and so do you.
To prove him false that says I love thee not.
LYSANDER
DEMETRIUS
Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee.
I say I love thee more than he can do.
DEMETRIUS
LYSANDER
I would I had your bond; for I perceive
If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too.
A weak bond holds you; I’ll not trust your word.
DEMETRIUS
LYSANDER
Quick, come,—
What! should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead?
HERMIA Although I hate her, I’ll not harm her so.
Lysander, whereto tends all this?
HERMIA
LYSANDER What! can you do me greater harm than hate?
Away, you Ethiope! Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my love?
Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lysander?
DEMETRIUS
I am as fair now as I was erewhile.
No, no, sir:—he will
Since night you lov’d me; yet since night you left me:
Seem to break loose; take on as you would follow:
Why then, you left me,—O, the gods forbid!—
But yet come not. You are a tame man; go!
In earnest, shall I say?
Contents

LYSANDER
LYSANDER
Hang off, thou cat, thou burr: vile thing, let loose,
Ay, by my life;
Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent.
And never did desire to see thee more.
HERMIA
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Therefore be out of hope, of question, doubt, Because she is something lower than myself,
Be certain, nothing truer; ’tis no jest That I can match her.
That I do hate thee and love Helena.
HERMIA
HERMIA Lower! hark, again.
O me! you juggler! you cankerblossom!
HELENA
You thief of love! What! have you come by night,
Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me.
And stol’n my love’s heart from him?
I evermore did love you, Hermia;
HELENA Did ever keep your counsels; never wrong’d you;
Fine, i’ faith! Save that, in love unto Demetrius,
Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, I told him of your stealth unto this wood:
No touch of bashfulness? What! will you tear He follow’d you; for love I follow’d him;
Impatient answers from my gentle tongue? But he hath chid me hence, and threaten’d me
Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet, you! To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too:
And now, so you will let me quiet go,
HERMIA
To Athens will I bear my folly back,
Puppet! why so? Ay, that way goes the game.
And follow you no farther. Let me go:
Now I perceive that she hath made compare
You see how simple and how fond I am.
Between our statures; she hath urg’d her height;
And with her personage, her tall personage, HERMIA
Her height, forsooth, she hath prevail’d with him.— Why, get you gone: who is’t that hinders you?
And are you grown so high in his esteem
HELENA
Because I am so dwarfish and so low?
A foolish heart that I leave here behind.
How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak;
How low am I? I am not yet so low HERMIA
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes. What! with Lysander?

HELENA HELENA
I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen, With Demetrius.
Contents

Let her not hurt me. I was never curst; LYSANDER


I have no gift at all in shrewishness; Be not afraid; she shall not harm thee, Helena.
I am a right maid for my cowardice;
DEMETRIUS
Let her not strike me. You perhaps may think,
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No, sir, she shall not, though you take her part. Nay, go not back.
HELENA HELENA
O, when she’s angry, she is keen and shrewd: I will not trust you, I;
She was a vixen when she went to school; Nor longer stay in your curst company.
And, though she be but little, she is fierce. Your hands than mine are quicker for a fray;
My legs are longer though, to run away.
HERMIA
Little again! nothing but low and little!— [Exit.]
Why will you suffer her to flout me thus? HERMIA
Let me come to her. I am amaz’d, and know not what to say.
LYSANDER [Exit, pursuing HELENA.]
Get you gone, you dwarf;
OBERON
You minimus, of hind’ring knot-grass made;
This is thy negligence: still thou mistak’st,
You bead, you acorn.
Or else commit’st thy knaveries willfully.
DEMETRIUS
PUCK
You are too officious
Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.
In her behalf that scorns your services.
Did not you tell me I should know the man
Let her alone: speak not of Helena;
By the Athenian garments he had on?
Take not her part; for if thou dost intend
And so far blameless proves my enterprise
Never so little show of love to her,
That I have ‘nointed an Athenian’s eyes:
Thou shalt aby it.
And so far am I glad it so did sort,
LYSANDER As this their jangling I esteem a sport.
Now she holds me not;
OBERON
Now follow, if thou dar’st, to try whose right,
Thou seest these lovers seek a place to fight;
Of thine or mine, is most in Helena.
Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night;
DEMETRIUS The starry welkin cover thou anon
Follow! nay, I’ll go with thee, cheek by jole. With drooping fog, as black as Acheron,
Contents

[Exeunt LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS.] And lead these testy rivals so astray
As one come not within another’s way.
HERMIA
Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue,
You, mistress, all this coil is ‘long of you:
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Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong; And, like a forester, the groves may tread
And sometime rail thou like Demetrius; Even till the eastern gate, all fiery-red,
And from each other look thou lead them thus, Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Till o’er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep Turns into yellow gold his salt-green streams.
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep: But, notwithstanding, haste; make no delay:
Then crush this herb into Lysander’s eye; We may effect this business yet ere day.
Whose liquor hath this virtuous property, [Exit OBERON.]
To take from thence all error with his might
And make his eyeballs roll with wonted sight. PUCK
When they next wake, all this derision Up and down, up and down;
Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision; I will lead them up and down:
And back to Athens shall the lovers wend I am fear’d in field and town.
With league whose date till death shall never end. Goblin, lead them up and down.
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ, Here comes one.
I’ll to my queen, and beg her Indian boy; [Enter LYSANDER.]
And then I will her charmed eye release LYSANDER
From monster’s view, and all things shall be peace. Where art thou, proud Demetrius? speak thou now.
PUCK PUCK
My fairy lord, this must be done with haste, Here, villain; drawn and ready. Where art thou?
For night’s swift dragons cut the clouds full fast;
And yonder shines Aurora’s harbinger, LYSANDER
At whose approach ghosts, wandering here and there, I will be with thee straight.
Troop home to churchyards: damned spirits all, PUCK
That in cross-ways and floods have burial, Follow me, then,
Already to their wormy beds are gone; To plainer ground.
For fear lest day should look their shames upon [Exit LYSANDER as following the voice.]
They wilfully exile themselves from light,
[Enter DEMETRIUS.]
And must for aye consort with black-brow’d night.
Contents

DEMETRIUS
OBERON
Lysander! speak again.
But we are spirits of another sort:
Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled?
I with the morning’s love have oft made sport;
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Speak. In some bush? where dost thou hide thy head? Abide me, if thou dar’st; for well I wot
Thou runn’st before me, shifting every place;
PUCK
And dar’st not stand, nor look me in the face.
Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,
Where art thou?
Telling the bushes that thou look’st for wars,
And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child; PUCK
I’ll whip thee with a rod: he is defiled Come hither; I am here.
That draws a sword on thee.
DEMETRIUS
DEMETRIUS Nay, then, thou mock’st me.
Yea, art thou there? Thou shalt buy this dear,
If ever I thy face by daylight see:
PUCK
Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me
Follow my voice; we’ll try no manhood here.
To measure out my length on this cold bed.—
[Exeunt.] By day’s approach look to be visited.
[Re-enter LYSANDER.] [Lies down and sleeps.]
LYSANDER [Enter HELENA.]
He goes before me, and still dares me on;
HELENA
When I come where he calls, then he is gone.
O weary night, O long and tedious night,
The villain is much lighter heeled than I:
Abate thy hours! Shine comforts from the east,
I follow’d fast, but faster he did fly;
That I may back to Athens by daylight,
That fallen am I in dark uneven way,
From these that my poor company detest:—
And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day!
And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow’s eye,
[Lies down.]
Steal me awhile from mine own company.
For if but once thou show me thy grey light,
I’ll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite. [Sleeps.]
[Sleeps.] PUCK
[Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS.] Yet but three? Come one more;
Two of both kinds makes up four.
Contents

PUCK Here she comes, curst and sad:—


Ho, ho, ho, ho! Coward, why com’st thou not? Cupid is a knavish lad,
DEMETRIUS Thus to make poor females mad.
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[Enter HERMIA.]
HERMIA
Never so weary, never so in woe,
Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers;
I can no further crawl, no further go;
My legs can keep no pace with my desires.
Here will I rest me till the break of day.
Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray!
[Lies down.]
Act 4.
Scene I. The Wood.
PUCK
On the ground [Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM; PEASBLOSSOM, COB-
Sleep sound: WEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED, and other FAIRIES attend-
I’ll apply ing; OBERON behind, unseen.]
To your eye, TITANIA
Gentle lover, remedy. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,
[Squeezing the juice on LYSANDER’S eye.] While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,
And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head,
When thou wak’st,
And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.
Thou tak’st
True delight BOTTOM
In the sight Where’s Peasblossom?
Of thy former lady’s eye: PEASBLOSSOM
And the country proverb known, Ready.
That every man should take his own,
BOTTOM
In your waking shall be shown:
Scratch my head, Peasblossom.—
Jack shall have Jill;
Where’s Monsieur Cobweb?
Nought shall go ill;
Contents

The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well. COBWEB
[Exit PUCK.—DEMETRIUS, HELENA &c, sleep.] Ready.
BOTTOM
Monsieur Cobweb; good monsieur, get you your weapons in
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your hand and kill me a red-hipped humble-bee on the top of a
TITANIA
thistle; and, good monsieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not
I have a venturous fairy that shall seek
fret yourself too much in the action, monsieur; and, good
The squirrel’s hoard, and fetch thee new nuts.
monsieur, have a care the honey-bag break not; I would be
loath to have you overflown with a honey-bag, signior.— BOTTOM
Where’s Monsieur Mustardseed? I had rather have a handful or two of dried peas. But,
I pray you, let none of your people stir me; I have an
MUSTARDSEED
exposition of sleep come upon me.
Ready.
TITANIA
BOTTOM
Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms.
Give me your neif, Monsieur Mustardseed.
Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away.
Pray you, leave your curtsy, good monsieur.
So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle
MUSTARDSEED Gently entwist,—the female ivy so
What’s your will? Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.
O, how I love thee! how I dote on thee!
BOTTOM
Nothing, good monsieur, but to help Cavalero Cobweb to [They sleep.]
scratch. I must to the barber’s, monsieur; for methinks I am [OBERON advances. Enter PUCK.]
marvellous hairy about the face; and I am such a tender ass,
OBERON
if my hair do but tickle me I must scratch.
Welcome, good Robin. Seest thou this sweet sight?
TITANIA Her dotage now I do begin to pity.
What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love? For, meeting her of late behind the wood,
BOTTOM Seeking sweet favours for this hateful fool,
I have a reasonable good ear in music; let us have the I did upbraid her and fall out with her:
tongs and the bones. For she his hairy temples then had rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers;
TITANIA And that same dew, which sometime on the buds
Or say, sweet love, what thou desirest to eat. Was wont to swell like round and orient pearls,
Contents

BOTTOM Stood now within the pretty flow’rets’ eyes,


Truly, a peck of provender; I could munch your good dry Like tears that did their own disgrace bewail.
oats. Methinks I have a great desire to a bottle of hay: good When I had, at my pleasure, taunted her,
hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow. And she, in mild terms, begg’d my patience,
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I then did ask of her her changeling child; TITANIA
Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent Music, ho! music; such as charmeth sleep.
To bear him to my bower in fairy-land.
PUCK
And now I have the boy, I will undo
Now when thou wak’st, with thine own fool’s eyes peep.
This hateful imperfection of her eyes.
And, gentle Puck, take this transformed scalp OBERON
From off the head of this Athenian swain, Sound, music. [Still music.] Come, my queen, take hands with
That he awaking when the other do, me,
May all to Athens back again repair, And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
And think no more of this night’s accidents Now thou and I are new in amity,
But as the fierce vexation of a dream. And will to-morrow midnight solemnly
But first I will release the fairy queen. Dance in Duke Theseus’ house triumphantly,
Be as thou wast wont to be; And bless it to all fair prosperity:
[Touching her eyes with an herb.] There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
See as thou was wont to see. Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity.
Dian’s bud o’er Cupid’s flower PUCK
Hath such force and blessed power. Fairy king, attend and mark;
Now, my Titania; wake you, my sweet queen. I do hear the morning lark.
TITANIA OBERON
My Oberon! what visions have I seen! Then, my queen, in silence sad,
Methought I was enamour’d of an ass. Trip we after night’s shade.
OBERON We the globe can compass soon,
There lies your love. Swifter than the wand’ring moon.

TITANIA TITANIA
How came these things to pass? Come, my lord; and in our flight,
O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now! Tell me how it came this night
That I sleeping here was found
Contents

OBERON
With these mortals on the ground.
Silence awhile.—Robin, take off this head.
Titania, music call; and strike more dead [Exeunt. Horns sound within.]
Than common sleep, of all these five, the sense. [Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and Train.]
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THESEUS My lord, this is my daughter here asleep;
Go, one of you, find out the forester;— And this Lysander; this Demetrius is;
For now our observation is perform’d; This Helena, old Nedar’s Helena:
And since we have the vaward of the day, I wonder of their being here together.
My love shall hear the music of my hounds,—
THESEUS
Uncouple in the western valley; go:—
No doubt they rose up early to observe
Despatch, I say, and find the forester.—
The rite of May; and, hearing our intent,
[Exit an ATTENDANT.] Came here in grace of our solemnity.—
We will, fair queen, up to the mountain’s top, But speak, Egeus; is not this the day
And mark the musical confusion That Hermia should give answer of her choice?
Of hounds and echo in conjunction. EGEUS
HIPPOLYTA It is, my lord.
I was with Hercules and Cadmus once THESEUS
When in a wood of Crete they bay’d the bear Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns.
With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear
[Horns, and shout within. DEMETRIUS,
Such gallant chiding; for, besides the groves,
LYSANDER,HERMIA, and HELENA
The skies, the fountains, every region near
awake and start up.]
Seem’d all one mutual cry: I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder. Good-morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past;
Begin these wood-birds but to couple now?
THESEUS
My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind, LYSANDER
So flew’d, so sanded; and their heads are hung Pardon, my lord.
With ears that sweep away the morning dew; [He and the rest kneel to THESEUS.]
Crook-knee’d and dew-lap’d like Thessalian bulls; THESEUS
Slow in pursuit, but match’d in mouth like bells, I pray you all, stand up.
Each under each. A cry more tuneable I know you two are rival enemies;
Was never holla’d to, nor cheer’d with horn,
Contents

How comes this gentle concord in the world,


In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly. That hatred is so far from jealousy
Judge when you hear.—But, soft, what nymphs are these? To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity?
EGEUS LYSANDER
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My lord, I shall reply amazedly, Now I do wish it, love it, long for it,
Half ‘sleep, half waking; but as yet, I swear, And will for evermore be true to it.
I cannot truly say how I came here:
THESEUS
But, as I think,—for truly would I speak—
Fair lovers, you are fortunately met:
And now I do bethink me, so it is,—
Of this discourse we more will hear anon.—
I came with Hermia hither: our intent
Egeus, I will overbear your will;
Was to be gone from Athens, where we might be,
For in the temple, by and by with us,
Without the peril of the Athenian law.
These couples shall eternally be knit.
EGEUS And, for the morning now is something worn,
Enough, enough, my lord; you have enough; Our purpos’d hunting shall be set aside.—
I beg the law, the law upon his head.— Away with us to Athens, three and three,
They would have stol’n away, they would, Demetrius, We’ll hold a feast in great solemnity.—
Thereby to have defeated you and me: Come, Hippolyta.
You of your wife, and me of my consent,— [Exeunt THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and Train.]
Of my consent that she should be your wife.
DEMETRIUS
DEMETRIUS These things seem small and undistinguishable,
My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth, Like far-off mountains turned into clouds.
Of this their purpose hither to this wood;
And I in fury hither follow’d them, HERMIA
Fair Helena in fancy following me. Methinks I see these things with parted eye,
But, my good lord, I wot not by what power,— When every thing seems double.
But by some power it is,—my love to Hermia, HELENA
Melted as the snow—seems to me now So methinks:
As the remembrance of an idle gawd And I have found Demetrius like a jewel.
Which in my childhood I did dote upon: Mine own, and not mine own.
And all the faith, the virtue of my heart,
DEMETRIUS
The object and the pleasure of mine eye,
It seems to me
Contents

Is only Helena. To her, my lord,


That yet we sleep, we dream.—Do not you think
Was I betroth’d ere I saw Hermia:
The duke was here, and bid us follow him?
But, like a sickness, did I loathe this food;
But, as in health, come to my natural taste, HERMIA
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Yea, and my father. Scene II. Athens. A Room in QUINCE’S House.
HELENA [Enter QUINCE, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING.]
And Hippolyta. QUINCE
LYSANDER Have you sent to Bottom’s house? is he come home yet?
And he did bid us follow to the temple. STARVELING
DEMETRIUS He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt, he is transported.
Why, then, we are awake: let’s follow him; FLUTE
And by the way let us recount our dreams. If he come not, then the play is marred; it goes not
[Exeunt.] forward, doth it?
[As they go out, BOTTOM awakes.] QUINCE
BOTTOM It is not possible: you have not a man in all Athens
When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is ‘Most able to discharge Pyramus but he.
fair Pyramus.’—Heigh-ho!—Peter Quince! Flute, the FLUTE
bellows-mender! Snout, the tinker! Starveling! God’s my life, No; he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft man in
stol’n hence, and left me asleep! I have had a most rare Athens.
vision. I have had a dream—past the wit of man to say
what dream it was.—Man is but an ass if he go about QUINCE
to expound this dream. Methought I was—there is no man can tell Yea, and the best person too: and he is a very paramour
what. Methought I was, and methought I had,—but man is but a for a sweet voice.
patched fool, if he will offer to say what methought I had. The FLUTE
eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen; man’s You must say paragon: a paramour is, God bless us, a thing of
hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart naught.
to report, what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a [Enter SNUG.]
ballad of this dream: it shall be called Bottom’s Dream, because
it hath no bottom; and I will sing it in the latter end of a SNUG
play, before the duke: peradventure, to make it the more Masters, the duke is coming from the temple; and there is
Contents

gracious, I shall sing it at her death. two or three lords and ladies more married: if our sport had gone
forward, we had all been made men.
[Exit.]
FLUTE
O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a day
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during his life; he could not have ‘scaped sixpence a-day; an
the duke had not given him sixpence a-day for playing Pyramus,
I’ll be hanged; he would have deserved it: sixpence a-day in
Pyramus, or nothing.
[Enter BOTTOM.]
BOTTOM
Where are these lads? where are these hearts?
QUINCE
Act 5.
Bottom!—O most courageous day! O most happy hour!
Scene I. Athens. An Apartment in the Palace of
BOTTOM THESEUS.
Masters, I am to discourse wonders: but ask me not [Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, Lords, and
what; for if I tell you, I am not true Athenian. I will tell you Attendants.]
everything, right as it fell out.
HIPPOLYTA
QUINCE ’Tis strange, my Theseus, that these lovers speak of.
Let us hear, sweet Bottom.
THESEUS
BOTTOM More strange than true. I never may believe
Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is, that the These antique fables, nor these fairy toys.
duke hath dined. Get your apparel together; good strings to Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,
your beards, new ribbons to your pumps; meet presently at the Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
palace; every man look over his part; for the short and the long More than cool reason ever comprehends.
is, our play is preferred. In any case, let Thisby have clean The lunatic, the lover, and the poet
linen; and let not him that plays the lion pare his nails, for Are of imagination all compact:
they shall hang out for the lion’s claws. And, most dear actors, One sees more devils than vast hell can hold;
eat no onions nor garlick, for we are to utter sweet breath; and That is the madman: the lover, all as frantic,
I do not doubt but to hear them say it is a sweet comedy. No more Sees Helen’s beauty in a brow of Egypt:
words: away! go; away!
Contents

The poet’s eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,


[Exeunt.] Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven;
And as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen
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Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing PHILOSTRATE
A local habitation and a name. Here, mighty Theseus.
Such tricks hath strong imagination,
THESEUS
That, if it would but apprehend some joy,
Say, what abridgment have you for this evening?
It comprehends some bringer of that joy;
What masque? what music? How shall we beguile
Or in the night, imagining some fear,
The lazy time, if not with some delight?
How easy is a bush supposed a bear?
PHILOSTRATE
HIPPOLYTA
There is a brief how many sports are ripe;
But all the story of the night told over,
Make choice of which your highness will see first.
And all their minds transfigur’d so together,
More witnesseth than fancy’s images, [Giving a paper.]
And grows to something of great constancy; THESEUS
But, howsoever, strange and admirable. [Reads.]
[Enter LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HERMIA, and HEL- ‘The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung
ENA.] By an Athenian eunuch to the harp.’
We’ll none of that: that have I told my love,
THESEUS
In glory of my kinsman Hercules.
Here come the lovers, full of joy and mirth.—
‘The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals,
Joy, gentle friends! joy and fresh days of love
Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage.’
Accompany your hearts!
That is an old device, and it was play’d
LYSANDER When I from Thebes came last a conqueror.
More than to us ‘The thrice three Muses mourning for the death
Wait in your royal walks, your board, your bed! Of learning, late deceas’d in beggary.’
That is some satire, keen and critical,
THESEUS
Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony.
Come now; what masques, what dances shall we have,
‘A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus
To wear away this long age of three hours
And his love Thisbe; very tragical mirth.’
Between our after-supper and bed-time?
Merry and tragical! tedious and brief!
Contents

Where is our usual manager of mirth?


That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow.
What revels are in hand? Is there no play
How shall we find the concord of this discord?
To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?
Call Philostrate. PHILOSTRATE
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A play there is, my lord, some ten words long, Go, bring them in: and take your places, ladies.
Which is as brief as I have known a play; [Exit PHILOSTRATE.]
But by ten words, my lord, it is too long,
Which makes it tedious: for in all the play HIPPOLYTA
There is not one word apt, one player fitted: I love not to see wretchedness o’er-charged,
And tragical, my noble lord, it is; And duty in his service perishing.
For Pyramus therein doth kill himself: THESEUS
Which when I saw rehears’d, I must confess, Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such thing.
Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears
HIPPOLYTA
The passion of loud laughter never shed.
He says they can do nothing in this kind.
THESEUS
THESEUS
What are they that do play it?
The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing.
PHILOSTRATE Our sport shall be to take what they mistake:
Hard-handed men that work in Athens here, And what poor duty cannot do,
Which never labour’d in their minds till now; Noble respect takes it in might, not merit.
And now have toil’d their unbreath’d memories Where I have come, great clerks have purposed
With this same play against your nuptial. To greet me with premeditated welcomes;
THESEUS Where I have seen them shiver and look pale,
And we will hear it. Make periods in the midst of sentences,
Throttle their practis’d accent in their fears,
PHILOSTRATE And, in conclusion, dumbly have broke off,
No, my noble lord, Not paying me a welcome. Trust me, sweet,
It is not for you: I have heard it over, Out of this silence yet I pick’d a welcome;
And it is nothing, nothing in the world; And in the modesty of fearful duty
Unless you can find sport in their intents, I read as much as from the rattling tongue
Extremely stretch’d and conn’d with cruel pain, Of saucy and audacious eloquence.
To do you service. Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity
Contents

THESEUS In least speak most to my capacity.


I will hear that play; [Enter PHILOSTRATE.]
For never anything can be amiss
PHILOSTRATE
When simpleness and duty tender it.
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So please your grace, the prologue is address’d. PROLOGUE
Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show;
THESEUS
But wonder on, till truth make all things plain.
Let him approach.
This man is Pyramus, if you would know;
[Flourish of trumpets. Enter PROLOGUE.] This beauteous lady Thisby is certain.
PROLOGUE This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth present
‘If we offend, it is with our good will. Wall, that vile Wall which did these lovers sunder;
That you should think, we come not to offend, And through Wall’s chink, poor souls, they are content
But with good will. To show our simple skill, To whisper, at the which let no man wonder.
That is the true beginning of our end. This man, with lanthorn, dog, and bush of thorn,
Consider then, we come but in despite. Presenteth Moonshine: for, if you will know,
We do not come, as minding to content you, By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn
Our true intent is. All for your delight To meet at Ninus’ tomb, there, there to woo.
We are not here. That you should here repent you, This grisly beast, which by name Lion hight,
The actors are at hand: and, by their show, The trusty Thisby, coming first by night,
You shall know all that you are like to know,’ Did scare away, or rather did affright;
And as she fled, her mantle she did fall;
THESEUS
Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain:
This fellow doth not stand upon points.
Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth, and tall,
LYSANDER And finds his trusty Thisby’s mantle slain;
He hath rid his prologue like a rough colt; he knows Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade,
not the stop. A good moral, my lord: it is not enough to speak, He bravely broach’d his boiling bloody breast;
but to speak true. And Thisby, tarrying in mulberry shade,
HIPPOLYTA His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest,
Indeed he hath played on this prologue like a child Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers twain,
on a recorder; a sound, but not in government. At large discourse while here they do remain.

THESEUS [Exeunt PROLOGUE, THISBE, LION, and MOON-


SHINE.]
Contents

His speech was like a tangled chain; nothing impaired, but all
disordered. Who is next? THESEUS
[Enter PYRAMUS and THISBE, WALL, MOONSHINE, and I wonder if the lion be to speak.
LION, as in dumb show.] DEMETRIUS
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No wonder, my lord: one lion may, when many asses do. [WALL holds up his fingers.]
WALL Thanks, courteous wall: Jove shield thee well for this!
In this same interlude it doth befall But what see what see I? No Thisby do I see.
That I, one Snout by name, present a wall: O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss,
And such a wall as I would have you think Curs’d be thy stones for thus deceiving me!
That had in it a crannied hole or chink, THESEUS
Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby, The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again.
Did whisper often very secretly.
This loam, this rough-cast, and this stone, doth show PYRAMUS
That I am that same wall; the truth is so: No, in truth, sir, he should not. ‘Deceiving me’ is
And this the cranny is, right and sinister, Thisby’s cue: she is to enter now, and I am to spy her through
Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper. the wall. You shall see it will fall pat as I told you.—Yonder
she comes.
THESEUS
[Enter THISBE.]
Would you desire lime and hair to speak better?
THISBE
DEMETRIUS
O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans,
It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard
For parting my fair Pyramus and me:
discourse, my lord.
My cherry lips have often kiss’d thy stones:
THESEUS Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.
Pyramus draws near the wall; silence.
PYRAMUS
[Enter PYRAMUS.] I see a voice; now will I to the chink,
PYRAMUS To spy an I can hear my Thisby’s face.
O grim-look’d night! O night with hue so black! Thisby!
O night, which ever art when day is not! THISBE
O night, O night, alack, alack, alack, My love! thou art my love, I think.
I fear my Thisby’s promise is forgot!—
And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall, PYRAMUS
Contents

That stand’st between her father’s ground and mine; Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover’s grace;
Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall, And like Limander am I trusty still.
Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne. THISBE
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And I like Helen, till the fates me kill. HIPPOLYTA
It must be your imagination then, and not theirs.
PYRAMUS
Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true. THESEUS
If we imagine no worse of them than they of
THISBE
themselves, they may pass for excellent men.
As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you.
Here come two noble beasts in, a moon and a lion.
PYRAMUS
[Enter LION and MOONSHINE.]
O, kiss me through the hole of this vile wall.
LION
THISBE
You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear
I kiss the wall’s hole, not your lips at all.
The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor,
PYRAMUS May now, perchance, both quake and tremble here,
Wilt thou at Ninny’s tomb meet me straightway? When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar.
THISBE Then know that I, one Snug the joiner, am
‘Tide life, ‘tide death, I come without delay. A lion fell, nor else no lion’s dam:
For, if I should as lion come in strife
WALL Into this place, ‘twere pity on my life.
Thus have I, wall, my part discharged so;
And, being done, thus Wall away doth go. THESEUS
A very gentle beast, and of a good conscience.
[Exeunt WALL, PYRAMUS and THISBE.]
DEMETRIUS
THESEUS
The very best at a beast, my lord, that e’er I saw.
Now is the mural down between the two neighbours.
LYSANDER
DEMETRIUS
This lion is a very fox for his valour.
No remedy, my lord, when walls are so wilful to hear
without warning. THESEUS
True; and a goose for his discretion.
HIPPOLYTA
This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard. DEMETRIUS
Contents

Not so, my lord; for his valour cannot carry his


THESEUS
discretion, and the fox carries the goose.
The best in this kind are but shadows; and the worst
are no worse, if imagination amend them. THESEUS
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His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his valour; All that I have to say, is to tell you that the lantern
for the goose carries not the fox. It is well; leave it to his is the moon; I, the man i’ the moon; this thorn-bush, my
discretion, and let us listen to the moon. thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog.
MOONSHINE DEMETRIUS
This lanthorn doth the horned moon present: Why, all these should be in the lantern; for all
these are in the moon. But silence; here comes Thisbe.
DEMETRIUS
He should have worn the horns on his head. [Enter THISBE.]

THESEUS THISBE
He is no crescent, and his horns are invisible within This is old Ninny’s tomb. Where is my love?
the circumference. LION
MOONSHINE Oh!
This lanthorn doth the horned moon present; [The LION roars.—THISBE runs off.]
Myself the man i’ the moon do seem to be.
DEMETRIUS
THESEUS Well roared, lion.
This is the greatest error of all the rest: the man should be
THESEUS
put into the lantern. How is it else the man i’ the moon?
Well run, Thisbe.
DEMETRIUS
HIPPOLYTA
He dares not come there for the candle: for, you
Well shone, moon.—Truly, the moon shines with a good grace.
see, it is already in snuff.
[The LION tears THISBE’S Mantle, and exit.]
HIPPOLYTA
I am aweary of this moon: would he would change! THESEUS
Well moused, lion.
THESEUS
It appears, by his small light of discretion, that he DEMETRIUS
is in the wane: but yet, in courtesy, in all reason, we must And so comes Pyramus.
stay the time. LYSANDER
Contents

LYSANDER And then the lion vanishes.


Proceed, moon. [Enter PYRAMUS.]
MOON PYRAMUS
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Sweet moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams; Where heart doth hop:—
I thank thee, moon, for shining now so bright: Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.
For, by thy gracious golden, glittering streams, Now am I dead,
I trust to take of truest Thisby’s sight. Now am I fled;
But stay;—O spite! My soul is in the sky:
But mark,—poor knight, Tongue, lose thy light!
What dreadful dole is here! Moon, take thy flight!
Eyes, do you see? Now die, die, die, die, die.
How can it be? [Dies. Exit MOONSHINE.]
O dainty duck! O dear!
Thy mantle good, DEMETRIUS
What! stained with blood? No die, but an ace, for him; for he is but one.
Approach, ye furies fell! LYSANDER
O fates! come, come; Less than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is nothing.
Cut thread and thrum;
THESEUS
Quail, rush, conclude, and quell!
With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover and prove an ass.
THESEUS
HIPPOLYTA
This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would go
How chance moonshine is gone before Thisbe comes
near to make a man look sad.
back and finds her lover?
HIPPOLYTA
THESEUS
Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man.
She will find him by starlight.—Here she comes; and
PYRAMUS her passion ends the play.
O wherefore, nature, didst thou lions frame? [Enter THISBE.]
Since lion vile hath here deflower’d my dear;
Which is—no, no—which was the fairest dame HIPPOLYTA
That liv’d, that lov’d, that lik’d, that look’d with cheer. Methinks she should not use a long one for such a
Come, tears, confound; Pyramus: I hope she will be brief.
Contents

Out, sword, and wound DEMETRIUS


The pap of Pyramus: A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which
Ay, that left pap, Thisbe, is the better.
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LYSANDER THESEUS
She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes. Moonshine and lion are left to bury the dead.
DEMETRIUS DEMETRIUS
And thus she moans, videlicet.— Ay, and wall too.
THISBE BOTTOM
Asleep, my love? No, I assure you; the wall is down that parted their fathers.
What, dead, my dove? Will it please you to see the epilogue, or to hear a Bergomask
O Pyramus, arise, dance between two of our company?
Speak, speak. Quite dumb?
THESEUS
Dead, dead? A tomb
No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no
Must cover thy sweet eyes.
excuse. Never excuse; for when the players are all dead there
These lily lips,
need none to be blamed. Marry, if he that writ it had played
This cherry nose,
Pyramus, and hang’d himself in Thisbe’s garter, it would have
These yellow cowslip cheeks,
been a fine tragedy: and so it is, truly; and very notably
Are gone, are gone:
discharged. But come, your Bergomask; let your epilogue alone.
Lovers, make moan!
His eyes were green as leeks. [Here a dance of Clowns.]
O Sisters Three, The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve:—
Come, come to me, Lovers, to bed; ’tis almost fairy time.
With hands as pale as milk; I fear we shall out-sleep the coming morn,
Lay them in gore, As much as we this night have overwatch’d.
Since you have shore This palpable-gross play hath well beguil’d
With shears his thread of silk. The heavy gait of night.—Sweet friends, to bed.—
Tongue, not a word:— A fortnight hold we this solemnity,
Come, trusty sword; In nightly revels and new jollity.
Come, blade, my breast imbrue; [Exeunt.]
And farewell, friends:—
Contents

Thus Thisbe ends;


Adieu, adieu, adieu.
[Dies.]
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Scene II Sing and dance it trippingly.


[Enter PUCK.] TITANIA
PUCK First, rehearse your song by rote,
Now the hungry lion roars, To each word a warbling note;
And the wolf behowls the moon; Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores, Will we sing, and bless this place.
All with weary task fordone. [Song and Dance.]
Now the wasted brands do glow, OBERON
Whilst the scritch-owl, scritching loud, Now, until the break of day,
Puts the wretch that lies in woe Through this house each fairy stray,
In remembrance of a shroud. To the best bride-bed will we,
Now it is the time of night Which by us shall blessed be;
That the graves, all gaping wide, And the issue there create
Every one lets forth its sprite, Ever shall be fortunate.
In the church-way paths to glide: So shall all the couples three
And we fairies, that do run Ever true in loving be;
By the triple Hecate’s team And the blots of Nature’s hand
From the presence of the sun, Shall not in their issue stand:
Following darkness like a dream, Never mole, hare-lip, nor scar,
Now are frolic; not a mouse Nor mark prodigious, such as are
Shall disturb this hallow’d house: Despised in nativity,
I am sent with broom before, Shall upon their children be.—
To sweep the dust behind the door. With this field-dew consecrate,
[Enter OBERON and TITANIA, with their Train.] Every fairy take his gate;
OBERON And each several chamber bless,
Through the house give glimmering light, Through this palace, with sweet peace;
By the dead and drowsy fire: E’er shall it in safety rest,
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Every elf and fairy sprite And the owner of it blest.


Hop as light as bird from brier: Trip away:
And this ditty, after me, Make no stay:
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Meet me all by break of day.
[Exeunt OBERON, TITANIA, and Train.]

PUCK
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this,—and all is mended,—
That you have but slumber’d here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend;
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call:
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
[Exit.]
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