A Midsummer Night’s Dream

[Dramatis PersonaeTheseus, Duke of AthensHippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to TheseusPhilostrate, Master of the RevelsEgeus, father of HermiaHermia, daughter of Egeus, in love with LysanderLysander, in love with HermiaDemetrius, in love with Hermia and favored by EgeusHelena, in love with DemetriusOberon, King of the FairiesTitania, Queen of the Fairiespuck, or Robin GoodfellowPeaseblossom,cobweb,mote,  fairies attending TitaniaMustardseed,Other fairies attending peter quince, a carpenter, prologuenick bottom, a weaver, pyramusFrancis flute, a bellows  representingmender, Thisbetom snout, a tinker,  wallsnug, a joiner, lionrobin starveling, a tailor, moonshineLords and Attendants on Theseus and Hippolytascene: Athens, and a wood near it]1.1 Location: Athens. Theseus's court.4 lingers frustrates5 Stepdame stepmother.  a dowager i.e., a widow (whose right of inheritance from her dead husband is eating into her son's estate)6 withering out causing to dwindle7 Four . . . night (The image is of the day sinking into the ocean as night comes on.)11 solemnities festive ceremonies of marriage.15 companion fellow. (A pale complexion is linked to melancholy.)  pomp ceremonial magnificence.16 with my sword i.e., in a military engagement against the Amazons, when Hippolyta was taken captive19 triumph public festivity[1.1] A Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, [and Philostrate,] with others.TheseusNow, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hourDraws on apace. Four happy days bring inAnother moon; but, oh, methinks, how slowThis old moon wanes! She lingers my desires, 4Like to a Stepdame or a dowager 5Long withering out a young man's revenue. 6HippolytaFour days will quickly steep themselves in night; 7Four nights will quickly dream away the time;And then the moon, like to a silver bowNew bent in heaven, shall behold the nightOf our solemnities.Theseus Go, Philostrate, 11Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments.Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth.Turn melancholy forth to funerals;The pale companion is not for our pomp. 15[Exit Philostrate.]Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword 16And won thy love doing thee injuries;But I will wed thee in another key,With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling. 19Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, and Lysander, and Demetrius.EgeusHappy be Theseus, our renowned duke!31 feigning (1) counterfeiting (2) faining, desirous32 And . . . fantasy and made her fall in love with you (imprinting your image on her imagination) by stealthy and dishonest means33 gauds, conceits playthings, fanciful trifles34 Knacks . . . sweetmeats knickknacks, trinkets, bouquets, candies35 prevailment in influence on39 Be it so if45 Immediately directly, with nothing intervening51 leave i.e., leave unalteredTheseusThanks, good Egeus. What's the news with thee?EgeusFull of vexation come I, with complaintAgainst my child, my daughter Hermia.–Stand forth, Demetrius.–My noble lord,This man hath my consent to marry her.–Stand forth, Lysander.–And, my gracious Duke,This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child.–Thou, thou Lysander, thou hast given her rhymesAnd interchanged love tokens with my child.Thou hast by moonlight at her window sungWith feigning voice verses of feigning love, 31And stol'n the impression of her fantasy 32With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits, 33Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats–messengers 34Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth. 35With cunning hast thou filched my daughter's heart,Turned her obedience, which is due to me,To stubborn harshness. And, my gracious Duke,Be it so she will not here before Your Grace 39Consent to marry with Demetrius,I beg the ancient privilege of Athens:As she is mine, I may dispose of her,Which shall be either to this gentlemanOr to her death, according to our lawImmediately provided in that case. 45TheseusWhat say you, Hermia? Be advised, fair maid.To you your father should be as a god–One that composed your beauties, yea, and oneTo whom you are but as a form in waxBy him imprinted, and within his powerTo leave the figure or disfigure it. 51Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.54 kind respect.  wanting lacking.  voice approval65 die the death be executed by legal process68 blood passions70 livery habit, costume71 aye ever.  mewed shut in. (Said of a hawk, poultry, etc.)76 earthlier happy happier as respects this world.  distilled i.e., to make perfume80 patent privilegeHermiaSo is Lysander.Theseus In himself he is;But in this kind, wanting your father's voice, 54The other must be held the worthier.HermiaI would my father looked but with my eyes.TheseusRather your eyes must with his judgment look.HermiaI do entreat Your Grace to pardon me.I know not by what power I am made bold,Nor how it may concern my modestyIn such a presence here to plead my thoughts;But I beseech Your Grace that I may knowThe worst that may befall me in this caseIf I refuse to wed Demetrius.TheseusEither to die the death or to abjure 65Forever the society of men.Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires,Know of your youth, examine well your blood, 68Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice,You can endure the livery of a nun, 70For aye to be in shady cloister mewed, 71To live a barren sister all your life,Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.Thrice blessed they that master so their bloodTo undergo such maiden pilgrimage;But earthlier happy is the rose distilled 76Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn,Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.HermiaSo will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,Ere I will yield my virgin patent up 8089 protest vow92 crazed cracked, unsound98 estate unto settle or bestow upon99 as well derived as well born and descended100 possessed endowed with wealth101 fairly handsomely102 vantage superiority106 head i.e., face110 spotted i.e., morally stainedUnto His Lordship, whose unwished yokeMy soul consents not to give sovereignty.TheseusTake time to pause, and by the next new moon–The sealing day betwixt my love and meFor everlasting bond of fellowship–Upon that day either prepare to dieFor disobedience to your father's will,Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would,Or on Diana's altar to protest 89For aye austerity and single life.DemetriusRelent, sweet Hermia, and, Lysander, yieldThy crazed title to my certain right. 92LysanderYou have her father's love, Demetrius;Let me have Hermia's. Do you marry him.EgeusScornful Lysander! True, he hath my love,And what is mine my love shall render him.And she is mine, and all my right of herI do estate unto Demetrius. 98LysanderI am, my lord, as well derived as he, 99As well possessed; my love is more than his; 100My fortunes every way as fairly ranked, 101If not with vantage, as Demetrius'; 102And, which is more than all these boasts can be,I am beloved of beauteous Hermia.Why should not I then prosecute my right?Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head, 106Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatryUpon this spotted and inconstant man. 110113 self-affairs my own concerns116 schooling admonition117 look you arm take care you prepare118 fancies likings, thoughts of love120 extenuate mitigate, relax123 go i.e., come125 Against in preparation for126 nearly that that closely130 Belike Very likely131 Beteem grant, afford135 blood hereditary rank136 cross vexation.137 misgrafted ill grafted, badly matchedTheseusI must confess that I have heard so much,And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof;But, being overfull of self-affairs, 113My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius, come,And come, Egeus, you shall go with me;I have some private schooling for you both. 116For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself 117To fit your fancies to your father's will, 118Or else the law of Athens yields you up–Which by no means we may extenuate– 120To death or to a vow of single life.Come, my Hippolyta. What cheer, my love?Demetrius and Egeus, go along. 123I must employ you in some businessAgainst our nuptial, and confer with you 125Of something nearly that concerns yourselves. 126EgeusWith duty and desire we follow you.Exeunt [all but Lysander and Hermia].LysanderHow now, my love, why is your cheek so pale?How chance the roses there do fade so fast?HermiaBelike for want of rain, which I could well 130Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes. 131LysanderAy me! For aught that I could ever read,Could ever hear by tale or history,The course of true love never did run smooth;But either it was different in blood– 135HermiaOh, cross! Too high to be enthralled to low. 136LysanderOr else misgrafted in respect of years– 137139 friends relatives141 sympathy agreement143 momentany lasting but a moment145 collied blackened (as with coal dust), darkened146 in a spleen in a swift impulse, in a violent flash.  unfolds reveals149 confusion ruin.150 ever crossed always thwarted152 teach . . . patience i.e., teach ourselves patience in this trial155 fancy's amorous passion's156 persuasion doctrine.159 seven leagues about 21 miles160 respects regards165 without outsideHermiaOh, spite! Too old to be engaged to young.LysanderOr else it stood upon the choice of friends– 139HermiaOh, hell, to choose love by another's eyes!LysanderOr if there were a sympathy in choice, 141War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it,Making it momentany as a sound, 143Swift as a shadow, short as any dream,Brief as the lightning in the collied night 145That in a spleen unfolds both heaven and earth, 146And ere a man hath power to say "Behold!"The jaws of darkness do devour it up.So quick bright things come to confusion. 149HermiaIf then true lovers have been ever crossed, 150It stands as an edict in destiny.Then let us teach our trial patience, 152Because it is a customary cross,As due to love as thoughts, and dreams, and sighs,Wishes, and tears, poor fancy's followers. 155LysanderA good persuasion. Therefore, hear me, Hermia: 156I have a widow aunt, a dowagerOf great revenue, and she hath no child.From Athens is her house remote seven leagues; 159And she respects me as her only son. 160There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee,And to that place the sharp Athenian lawCannot pursue us. If thou lovest me, then,Steal forth thy father's house tomorrow night;And in the wood, a league without the town, 165Where I did meet thee once with Helena167 To do . . . May to perform the ceremonies of May Day170 best arrow (Cupid's best gold-pointed arrows were supposed to induce love; his blunt leaden arrows, aversion.)171 simplicity innocence.  doves i.e., those that drew Venus's chariot173, 174 Carthage queen, false Trojan (Dido, Queen of Carthage, immolated herself on a funeral pyre after having been deserted by the Trojan hero Aeneas.)180 fair fair-complexioned. (Generally regarded by the Elizabethans as more beautiful than a dark complexion.)182 your fair your beauty (even though Hermia is dark complexioned).  happy fair lucky fair one.183 lodestars guiding stars.  air music184 tunable tuneful, melodious186 favor appearance, looks190 bated excepted191 translated transformed.193 sway the motion control the impulsesTo do observance to a morn of May, 167There will I stay for thee.Hermia My good Lysander!I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow,By his best arrow with the golden head, 170By the simplicity of Venus' doves, 171By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen 173When the false Trojan under sail was seen, 174By all the vows that ever men have broke,In number more than ever women spoke,In that same place thou hast appointed meTomorrow truly will I meet with thee.LysanderKeep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.Enter Helena.HermiaGod speed, fair Helena! Whither away? 180HelenaCall you me fair? That "fair" again unsay.Demetrius loves your fair. Oh, happy fair! 182Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue's sweet air 183More tunable than lark to shepherd's ear 184When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor so, 186Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go;My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye,My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, 190The rest I'd give to be to you translated. 191Oh, teach me how you look and with what artYou sway the motion of Demetrius' heart. 193HermiaI frown upon him, yet he loves me still.197 Oh, that . . . move! Would that my prayers could arouse such desire!204-5 Before . . . to me (Love has led to complications and jealousies, making Athens hell for Hermia.)209 Phoebe Diana, the moon210 glass reflecting surface (of a lake, etc.)211 liquid pearl i.e., dew212 still always215 faint pale216 counsel secret thoughtHelenaOh, that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!HermiaI give him curses, yet he gives me love.HelenaOh, that my prayers could such affection move! 197HermiaThe more I hate, the more he follows me.HelenaThe more I love, the more he hateth me.HermiaHis folly, Helena, is no fault of mine.HelenaNone, but your beauty. Would that fault were mine!HermiaTake comfort. He no more shall see my face.Lysander and myself will fly this place.Before the time I did Lysander see 204Seemed Athens as a paradise to me. 205Oh, then, what graces in my love do dwell,That he hath turned a heaven unto a hell?LysanderHelen, to you our minds we will unfold.Tomorrow night, when Phoebe doth behold 209Her silver visage in the watery glass, 210Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass, 211A time that lovers' flights doth still conceal, 212Through Athens' gates have we devised to steal.HermiaAnd in the wood, where often you and IUpon faint primrose beds were wont to lie, 215Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet, 216There my Lysander and myself shall meet,