William Shakespeare Shakespeare, William

A Midsummer Night’s Dream





Texto utilizado para esta edición digital:
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. [online] Edited by Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine. Digital text editors: Michael Poston, and Rebecca Niles. Washington D.C.: Folger Shakespeare Library. [Accessed 14 November 2017] Folger Digital Texts. www.folgerdigitaltexts.org
Adaptación digital para EMOTHE:
  • Bodi García, Alba

Note on this digital edition

Reproduced with kind permission by Folger Shakespeare Library.
Folger Digital Texts and their source code are available at no cost for online reading and download, for noncommercial purposes only, under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

For this digital edition, overflowing or “turn under” verse lines in the Folger Digital Text have been reassembled onto the same verse line, and their line numbering has been reset accordingly.


Characters in the Play

HERMIA, }
LYSANDER, }
HELENA, }
DEMETRIUS, } Four lovers
THESEUS, duke of Athens
HIPPOLYTA, queen of the Amazons
EGEUS, father to HERMIA
PHILOSTRATE, master of the revels to Theseus
NICK BOTTOM, weaver
PETER QUINCE, carpenter
FRANCIS FLUTE, bellows-mender
TOM SNOUT, tinker
SNUG, joiner
ROBIN STARVELING, tailor
OBERON, king of the Fairies
TITANIA, queen of the Fairies
ROBIN GOODFELLOW, a “puck,” or hobgoblin, in Oberon’s service
A Fairy, in the service of Titania
PEASEBLOSSOM, }
COBWEB, }
MOTE, }
MUSTARDSEED, } Fairies attending upon Titania
Lords and Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta
Other Fairies in the trains of Titania and Oberon

⸢ACT 1⸣

⸢Scene 1⸣

Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, ⸢and Philostrate ⸣, with others.

THESEUS
Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in
Another moon. But, O, methinks how slow
This old moon ⸢wanes!⸣ She lingers my desires
5
Like to a stepdame or a dowager
Long withering out a young man’s revenue.

HIPPOLYTA
Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow
10
⸢New⸣ -bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our solemnities.

THESEUS
Go, Philostrate,
Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments.
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth.
15
Turn melancholy forth to funerals;
The pale companion is not for our pomp.

⸢Philostrate exits.⸣

HIPPOLYTA
I wooed thee with my sword
And won thy love doing thee injuries,
But I will wed thee in another key,
20
With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.

Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, and Lysander and Demetrius.

EGEUS
Happy be Theseus, our renownèd duke!

THESEUS
Thanks, good Egeus. What’s the news with thee?

EGEUS
Full of vexation come I, with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia.—
25
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 rhymes
30
And interchanged love tokens with my child.
Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung
With feigning voice verses of feigning love
And stol’n the impression of her fantasy
With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits,
35
Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats—messengers
Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth.
With cunning hast thou filched my daughter’s heart,
Turned her obedience (which is due to me)
To stubborn harshness.—And, my gracious duke,
40
Be it so she will not here before your Grace
Consent 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 gentleman
45
Or to her death, according to our law
Immediately provided in that case.

THESEUS
What say you, Hermia? Be advised, fair maid.
To you, your father should be as a god,
One that composed your beauties, yea, and one
50
To whom you are but as a form in wax
By him imprinted, and within his power
To leave the figure or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

HERMIA
So is Lysander.

THESEUS
In himself he is,
55
But in this kind, wanting your father’s voice,
The other must be held the worthier.

HERMIA
I would my father looked but with my eyes.
Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.

HERMIA
I do entreat your Grace to pardon me.
60
I know not by what power I am made bold,
Nor how it may concern my modesty
In such a presence here to plead my thoughts;
But I beseech your Grace that I may know
The worst that may befall me in this case
65
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

THESEUS
Either to die the death or to abjure
Forever the society of men.
Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires,
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
70
Whether (if you yield not to your father’s choice)
You can endure the livery of a nun,
For aye to be in shady cloister mewed,
To live a barren sister all your life,
Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.
75
Thrice-blessèd they that master so their blood
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage,
But earthlier happy is the rose distilled
Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn,
Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.

HERMIA
80
So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,
Ere I will yield my virgin patent up
Unto his Lordship whose unwishèd yoke
My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

THESEUS
Take time to pause, and by the next new moon
85
(The sealing day betwixt my love and me
For everlasting bond of fellowship),
Upon that day either prepare to die
For disobedience to your father’s will,
Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would,
90
Or on Diana’s altar to protest
For aye austerity and single life.

DEMETRIUS
Relent, sweet Hermia, and, Lysander, yield
Thy crazèd title to my certain right.

LYSANDER
You have her father’s love, Demetrius.
95
Let me have Hermia’s. Do you marry him.

EGEUS
Scornful Lysander, true, he hath my love;
And what is mine my love shall render him.
And she is mine, and all my right of her
I do estate unto Demetrius.

LYSANDER
100
⸢to Theseus⸣
I am, my lord, as well derived as he,
As well possessed. My love is more than his;
My fortunes every way as fairly ranked
(If not with vantage) as Demetrius’;
And (which is more than all these boasts can be)
105
I am beloved of beauteous Hermia.
Why should not I then prosecute my right?
Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena,
And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,
110
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

THESEUS
I must confess that I have heard so much,
And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof;
But, being overfull of self-affairs,
115
My mind did lose it.—But, Demetrius, come,
And come, Egeus; you shall go with me.
I have some private schooling for you both.—
For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself
To fit your fancies to your father’s will,
120
Or else the law of Athens yields you up
(Which by no means we may extenuate)
To death or to a vow of single life.—
Come, my Hippolyta. What cheer, my love?—
Demetrius and Egeus, go along.
125
I must employ you in some business
Against our nuptial and confer with you
Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.

EGEUS
With duty and desire we follow you.

⸢All but Hermia and Lysander⸣ exit.

LYSANDER
How now, my love? Why is your cheek so pale?
130
How chance the roses there do fade so fast?

HERMIA
Belike for want of rain, which I could well
Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.

LYSANDER
Ay me! For aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
135
The course of true love never did run smooth.
But either it was different in blood—

HERMIA
O cross! Too high to be enthralled to ⸢low⸣.

LYSANDER
Or else misgraffèd in respect of years—

HERMIA
O spite! Too old to be engaged to young.

LYSANDER
140
Or else it stood upon the choice of friends—

HERMIA
O hell, to choose love by another’s eyes!

LYSANDER
Or, if there were a sympathy in choice,
War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it,
Making it momentany as a sound,
145
Swift as a shadow, short as any dream,
Brief as the lightning in the collied night,
That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and Earth,
And, ere a man hath power to say “Behold!”
The jaws of darkness do devour it up.
150
So quick bright things come to confusion.

HERMIA
If then true lovers have been ever crossed,
It stands as an edict in destiny.
Then let us teach our trial patience
Because it is a customary cross,
155
As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs,
Wishes and tears, poor fancy’s followers.

LYSANDER
A good persuasion. Therefore, hear me, Hermia:
I have a widow aunt, a dowager
Of great revenue, and she hath no child.
160
From Athens is her house remote seven leagues,
And she respects me as her only son.
There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;
And to that place the sharp Athenian law
Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me, then
165
Steal forth thy father’s house tomorrow night,
And in the wood a league without the town
(Where I did meet thee once with Helena
To do observance to a morn of May),
There will I stay for thee.

HERMIA
My good Lysander,
170
I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicity of Venus’ doves,
By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,
And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen
175
When the false Trojan under sail was seen,
By all the vows that ever men have broke
(In number more than ever women spoke),
In that same place thou hast appointed me,
Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.

LYSANDER
180
Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.

Enter Helena.

HERMIA
Godspeed, fair Helena. Whither away?

HELENA
Call you me “fair”? That “fair” again unsay.
Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair!
Your eyes are lodestars and your tongue’s sweet air
185
More tunable than lark to shepherd’s ear
When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.
Sickness is catching. O, were favor so!
⸢Yours would⸣ I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go.
My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye;
190
My tongue should catch your tongue’s sweet melody.
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest ⸢I’d⸣ give to be to you translated.
O, teach me how you look and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius heart!

HERMIA
195
I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.

HELENA
O, that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!

HERMIA
I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

HELENA
O, that my prayers could such affection move!

HERMIA
The more I hate, the more he follows me.

HELENA
200
The more I love, the more he hateth me.

HERMIA
His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine.

HELENA
None but your beauty. Would that fault were mine!

HERMIA
Take comfort: he no more shall see my face.
Lysander and myself will fly this place.
205
Before the time I did Lysander see
Seemed Athens as a paradise to me.
O, then, what graces in my love do dwell
That he hath turned a heaven unto a hell!

LYSANDER
Helen, to you our minds we will unfold.
210
Tomorrow night when Phoebe doth behold
Her silver visage in the wat’ry glass,
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass
(A time that lovers’ flights doth still conceal),
Through Athens’ gates have we devised to steal.

HERMIA
215
And in the wood where often you and I
Upon faint primrose beds were wont to lie,
Emptying our bosoms of their counsel ⸢sweet,⸣
There my Lysander and myself shall meet
And thence from Athens turn away our eyes
220
To seek new friends and ⸢stranger companies.⸣
Farewell, sweet playfellow. Pray thou for us,
And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius.—
Keep word, Lysander. We must starve our sight
From lovers’ food till morrow deep midnight.

LYSANDER
225
I will, my Hermia
(Hermia exits.)
Helena, a dieu.
As you on him, Demetrius dote on you!

Lysander exits.

HELENA
How happy some o’er other some can be!
Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.
But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so.
230
He will not know what all but he do know.
And, as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
235
Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgment taste.
Wings, and no eyes, figure unheedy haste.
And therefore is Love said to be a child
240
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.
As waggish boys in game themselves forswear,
So the boy Love is perjured everywhere.
For, ere Demetrius looked on Hermia’s eyne,
He hailed down oaths that he was only mine;
245
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolved, and show’rs of oaths did melt.
I will go tell him of fair Hermia ‘s flight.
Then to the wood will he tomorrow night
Pursue her. And, for this intelligence
250
If I have thanks, it is a dear expense.
But herein mean I to enrich my pain,
To have his sight thither and back again.

She exits.

⸢Scene 2⸣

Enter Quince the carpenter, and Snug the joiner, and Bottom the weaver, and Flute the bellows-mender, and Snout the tinker, and Starveling the tailor.

QUINCE
Is all our company here?

BOTTOM
You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip.

QUINCE
Here is the scroll of every man’s name which
5
is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the Duke and the Duchess on his wedding day at night.

BOTTOM
First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on, then read the names of the actors, and so
10
grow to a point.

QUINCE
Marry, our play is “The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe.”

BOTTOM
A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a
15
merry. Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scroll. Masters, spread yourselves.

QUINCE
Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom, the weaver.

BOTTOM
Ready. Name what part I am for, and proceed.

QUINCE
You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.

BOTTOM
20
What is Pyramus—a lover or a tyrant?

QUINCE
A lover that kills himself most gallant for love.

BOTTOM
That will ask some tears in the true performing of it. If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes. I will move storms; I will condole in some
25
measure. To the rest.—Yet my chief humor is for a tyrant. I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split:
ErrorMetrica
The raging rocks
And shivering shocks
30
Shall break the locks
Of prison gates.
And Phibbus’ car
Shall shine from far
And make and mar
35
The foolish Fates.
This was lofty. Now name the rest of the players. This is Ercles’ vein, a tyrant’s vein. A lover is more condoling.

QUINCE
Francis Flute, the bellows-mender.

FLUTE
40
Here, Peter Quince.

QUINCE
Flute, you must take Thisbe on you.

FLUTE
What is Thisbe—a wand’ring knight?

QUINCE
It is the lady that Pyramus must love.

FLUTE
Nay, faith, let not me play a woman. I have a
45
beard coming.

QUINCE
That’s all one. You shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will.

BOTTOM
An I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too. I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice: “Thisne,
50
Thisne!”—“Ah Pyramus, my lover dear! Thy Thisbe dear and lady dear!”

QUINCE
No, no, you must play Pyramus—and, Flute, you Thisbe.

BOTTOM
Well, proceed.

QUINCE
55
Robin Starveling, the tailor.

STARVELING
Here, Peter Quince.

QUINCE
Robin Starveling, you must play Thisbe’s mother.—Tom Snout, the tinker.

SNOUT
Here, Peter Quince.

QUINCE
60
You, Pyramus’ father.—Myself, Thisbe’s father.—Snug the joiner, you the lion’s part.— And I hope here is a play fitted.

SNUG
Have you the lion’s part written? Pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow of study.

QUINCE
65
You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring.

BOTTOM
Let me play the lion too. I will roar that I will do any man’s heart good to hear me. I will roar that I will make the Duke say “Let him roar again. Let
70
him roar again!”

QUINCE
An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the Duchess and the ladies that they would shriek, and that were enough to hang us all.

ALL
That would hang us, every mother’s son.

BOTTOM
75
I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang 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 nightingale.

QUINCE
80
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 gentlemanlike man. Therefore you must needs play Pyramus.

BOTTOM
Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I
85
best to play it in?

QUINCE
Why, what you will.

BOTTOM
I will discharge it in either your straw-color beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French-crown-color beard,
90
your perfit yellow.

QUINCE
Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play barefaced. But, masters, here are your parts, ⸢giving out the parts ⸣, and I am
95
to entreat you, request you, and desire you to con them by tomorrow night and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moonlight. There will we rehearse, for if we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with company and our devices known. In
100
the meantime I will draw a bill of properties such as our play wants. I pray you fail me not.

BOTTOM
We will meet, and there we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously. Take pains. Be perfit. Adieu.

QUINCE
105
At the Duke’s Oak we meet.

BOTTOM
Enough. Hold or cut bowstrings.

They exit.

⸢ACT 2⸣

⸢Scene 1⸣

FAIRY
Either I mistake your shape and making quite,

FAIRY
And here my mistress. Would that he were gone!

Enter a Fairy at one door and Robin Goodfellow at another.

ROBIN
How now, spirit? Whither wander you?

FAIRY
Over hill, over dale,
5
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire;
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon’s sphere.
10
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, Fairy favors;
15
In those freckles live their savors.
I must go seek some dewdrops here
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.
Farewell, thou lob of spirits. I’ll be gone.
Our queen and all her elves come here anon.

ROBIN
20
The King doth keep his revels here tonight.
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 stolen from an Indian king;
25
She never had so sweet a changeling.
And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild.
But she perforce withholds the lovèd boy,
Crowns him with flowers and makes him all her joy.
30
And now they never meet in grove or green,
By fountain clear or spangled starlight sheen,
But they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups and hide them there.
Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
35
Called Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he
That frights the maidens of the villagery,
Skim milk, and sometimes labor in the quern
And bootless make the breathless huswife churn,
And sometime make the drink to bear no barm,
40
Mislead night wanderers, laughing at their harm?
Those that “Hobgoblin” call you and “sweet Puck,”
You do their work, and they shall have good luck.
Are not you he?

ROBIN
Thou speakest aright.
I am that merry wanderer of the night.
45
I jest to Oberon and make him smile
When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile,
Neighing in likeness of a filly foal.
And sometime lurk I in a gossip’s bowl
In very likeness of a roasted crab,
50
And, when she drinks, against her lips I bob
And on her withered dewlap pour the ale.
The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale,
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me;
Then slip I from her bum, down topples she
55
And “Tailor!” cries and falls into a cough,
And then the whole choir hold their hips and loffe
And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear
A merrier hour was never wasted there.
But room, Fairy. Here comes Oberon.

Enter ⸢Oberon⸣ the King of Fairies at one door, with his train, and ⸢Titania⸣ the Queen at another, with hers.

OBERON
60
Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.

TITANIA
What, jealous Oberon? ⸢Fairies⸣, skip hence.
I have forsworn his bed and company.

OBERON
Tarry, rash wanton. Am not I thy lord?

TITANIA
Then I must be thy lady. But I know
65
When thou hast stolen away from Fairyland
And in the shape of Corin sat all day
Playing on pipes of corn and versing love
To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here,
Come from the farthest steep of India,
70
But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon,
Your buskined mistress and your warrior love,
To Theseus must be wedded, and you come
To give their bed joy and prosperity?

OBERON
How canst thou thus for shame, Titania,
75
Glance at my credit with Hippolita,
Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?
Didst not thou lead him through the glimmering night
From ⸢Perigouna⸣, whom he ravishèd,
And make him with fair ⸢Aegles⸣ break his faith,
80
With Ariadne and Antiopa?

TITANIA
These are the forgeries of jealousy;
And never, since the middle summer’s spring,
Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead,
By pavèd fountain or by rushy brook,
85
Or in the beachèd margent of the sea,
To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind,
But with thy brawls thou hast disturbed our sport.
Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain,
As in revenge have sucked up from the sea
90
Contagious fogs, which, falling in the land,
Hath every pelting river made so proud
That they have overborne their continents.
The ox hath therefore stretched his yoke in vain,
The plowman lost his sweat, and the green corn
95
Hath rotted ere his youth attained a beard.
The fold stands empty in the drownèd field,
And crows are fatted with the murrain flock.
The nine-men’s-morris is filled up with mud,
And the quaint mazes in the wanton green,
100
For lack of tread, are undistinguishable.
The human mortals want their winter here.
No night is now with hymn or carol blessed.
Therefore the moon, the governess of floods,
Pale in her anger, washes all the air,
105
That rheumatic diseases do abound.
And thorough this distemperature we see
The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts
Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose,
And on old Hiems’ ⸢thin⸣ and icy crown
110
An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds
Is, as in mockery, set. The spring, the summer,
The childing autumn, angry winter, change
Their wonted liveries, and the mazèd world
By their increase now knows not which is which.
115
And this same progeny of evils comes
From our debate, from our dissension;
We are their parents and original.

OBERON
Do you amend it, then. It lies in you.
Why should Titania cross her Oberon?
120
I do but beg a little changeling boy
To be my henchman.

TITANIA
Set your heart at rest:
The Fairyland buys not the child of me.
His mother was a vot’ress of my order,
And in the spicèd Indian air by night
125
Full often hath she gossiped by my side
And sat with me on Neptune’s yellow sands,
Marking th’ embarkèd traders on the flood,
When we have laughed to see the sails conceive
And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind;
130
Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait,
Following (her womb then rich with my young squire),
Would imitate and sail upon the land
To fetch me trifles and return again,
As from a voyage, rich with merchandise.
135
But she, being mortal, of that boy did die,
And for her sake do I rear up her boy,
And for her sake I will not part with him.

OBERON
How long within this wood intend you stay?

TITANIA
Perchance till after Theseus’ wedding day.
140
If you will patiently dance in our round
And see our moonlight revels, go with us.
If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.

OBERON
Give me that boy and I will go with thee.

TITANIA
Not for thy Fairy kingdom. Fairies, away.
145
We shall chide downright if I longer stay.

⸢Titania and her fairies⸣ exit.

OBERON
Well, go thy way. Thou shalt not from this grove
Till I torment thee for this injury.—
My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou rememb’rest
Since once I sat upon a promontory
150
And heard a mermaid on a dolphin’s back
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath
That the rude sea grew civil at her song
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres
To hear the sea-maid’s music.

ROBIN
I remember.

OBERON
155
That very time I saw (but thou couldst not),
Flying between the cold moon and the Earth,
Cupid all armed. A certain aim he took
At a fair vestal thronèd by the west,
And loosed his love-shaft smartly from his bow
160
As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts.
But I might see young Cupid’s fiery shaft
Quenched in the chaste beams of the wat’ry moon,
And the imperial vot’ress passèd on
In maiden meditation, fancy-free.
165
Yet marked I where the bolt of Cupid fell.
It fell upon a little western flower,
Before, milk-white, now purple with love’s wound,
And maidens call it “love-in-idleness.”
Fetch me that flower; the herb I showed thee once.
170
The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid
Will make or man or woman madly dote
Upon the next live creature that it sees.
Fetch me this herb, and be thou here again
Ere the leviathan can swim a league.

ROBIN
175
I’ll put a girdle round about the Earth
In forty minutes.

⸢He exits.⸣

OBERON
Having once this juice,
I’ll watch Titania when she is asleep
And drop the liquor of it in her eyes.
The next thing then she, waking, looks upon
180
(Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull,
On meddling monkey, or on busy ape)
She shall pursue it with the soul of love.
And ere I take this charm from off her sight
(As I can take it with another herb),
185
I’ll make her render up her page to me.
But who comes here? I am invisible,
And I will overhear their conference.

Enter Demetrius, Helena following him.

DEMETRIUS
I love thee not; therefore pursue me not.
Where is Lysander and fair Hermia?
190
The one I’ll stay; the other stayeth me.


⸢ACT 3⸣

⸢Scene 1⸣

⸢With Titania still asleep onstage⸣, enter the Clowns, ⸢Bottom, Quince, Snout, Starveling, Snug, and Flute.⸣

BOTTOM
Are we all met?

QUINCE
Pat, pat. And here’s a marvels convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn brake our tiring-house,
5
and we will do it in action as we will do it before the Duke.

BOTTOM
Peter Quince?

QUINCE
What sayest thou, bully Bottom?

BOTTOM
There are things in this comedy of Pyramus
10
and Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that?

SNOUT
By ’r lakin, a parlous fear.

STARVELING
I believe we must leave the killing out,
15
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 the more
20
better assurance, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver. This will put them out of fear.

QUINCE
Well, we will have such a prologue, and it shall be written in eight and six.

BOTTOM
25
No, make it two more. Let it be written in eight and eight.

SNOUT
Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?

STARVELING
I fear it, I promise you.

BOTTOM
Masters, you ought to consider with yourself,
30
to bring in (God shield us!) a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing. For there is not a more fearful wildfowl than your lion living, and we ought to look to ’t.

SNOUT
Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion.

BOTTOM
Nay, you must name his name, and half his
35
face must be seen through the lion’s neck, and he himself must speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect: “Ladies,” or “Fair ladies, I would wish you,” or “I would request you,” or “I would entreat you not to fear, not to tremble! My life for
40
yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life. No, I am no such thing. I am a man as other men are.” And there indeed let him name his name and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner.

QUINCE
Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard
45
things: that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber, for you know Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight.

SNOUT
Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?

BOTTOM
A calendar, a calendar! Look in the almanac. Find out moonshine, find out moonshine.

⸢Quince takes out a book⸣.

QUINCE
50
Yes, it doth shine that night.

BOTTOM
Why, then, may you leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play, open, and the moon may shine in at the casement.

QUINCE
Ay, or else one must come in with a bush of
55
thorns and a lantern and say he comes to disfigure or to present the person of Moonshine. Then there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber, for Pyramus and Thisbe, says the story, did talk through the chink of a wall .

SNOUT
60
You can never bring in a wall . What say you, Bottom?

BOTTOM
Some man or other must present Wall . And let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some roughcast about him to signify wall, or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall
65
Pyramus and Thisbe whisper.

QUINCE
If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother’s son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin. When you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake, and so everyone
70
according to his cue.

Enter Robin ⸢invisible to those onstage.⸣

ROBIN
⸢aside⸣
What hempen homespuns have we swagg’ring here
So near the cradle of the Fairy Queen?
What, a play toward? I’ll be an auditor—
An actor too perhaps, if I see cause.

QUINCE
75
Speak, Pyramus.—Thisbe, stand forth.

BOTTOM
⸢as Pyramus⸣
Thisbe, the flowers of odious savors sweet—

QUINCE
Odors, ⸢odors!⸣

BOTTOM
⸢as Pyramus⸣
…odors savors sweet.
So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisbe dear.—
80
But hark, a voice! Stay thou but here awhile,
And by and by I will to thee appear.

He exits.

ROBIN
⸢aside⸣ A stranger Pyramus than e’er played here.

He exits.

FLUTE
Must I speak now?

QUINCE
Ay, marry, must you, for you must understand
85
he goes but to see a noise that he heard and is to come again.

FLUTE
(as Thisbe)
Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue,
Of color like the red rose on triumphant brier,
Most brisky juvenal and eke most lovely Jew,
As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.
90
I’ll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny’s tomb.

QUINCE
“Ninus’ tomb,” man! Why, you must not speak that yet. That you answer to Pyramus. You speak all your part at once, cues and all .—Pyramus, enter. Your cue is past. It is “never tire.”

FLUTE
95
⸢As Thisbe⸣. O!
ErrorMetrica
As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.

⸢Enter Robin, and Bottom as Pyramus with the ass-head.⸣

BOTTOM
(as Pyramus)
If I were ⸢fair,⸣ fair Thisbe, I were only thine.

QUINCE
O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted. Pray, masters, fly, masters! Help!

⸢Quince, Flute, Snout, Snug, and Starveling exit.⸣

ROBIN
I’ll follow you. I’ll lead you about a round,
100
Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier.
Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound,
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire,
And neigh and bark and grunt and roar and burn,
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

He exits.

BOTTOM
105
Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make me afeard.

Enter Snout.

SNOUT
O Bottom, thou art changed! What do I see on thee?

BOTTOM
What do you see? You see an ass-head of your own, do you?

⸢Snout exits.⸣
Enter Quince.

QUINCE
Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee! Thou art translated!

He exits.

BOTTOM
I see their knavery. This is to make an ass of
110
me, to fright me, if they could. But I will not stir from this place, do what they can. I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.
ErrorMetrica
⸢He sings.⸣
The ouzel cock, so black of hue,
115
With orange-tawny bill,
The throstle with his note so true,
The wren with little quill—

TITANIA
⸢waking up⸣
What angel wakes me from my flow’ry bed?

BOTTOM
⸢sings⸣
The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
120
The plainsong cuckoo gray,
Whose note full many a man doth mark
And dares not answer “nay”—
for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird? Who would give a bird the lie though he cry
125
“cuckoo” never so?

TITANIA
I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again.
Mine ear is much enamored of thy note,
So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape,
And thy fair virtue’s force perforce doth move me
130
On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.

BOTTOM
Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that. And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays. The more the pity that some honest neighbors will
135
not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

TITANIA
Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

BOTTOM
Not so neither; but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

TITANIA
Out of this wood do not desire to go.
140
Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no.
I am a spirit of no common rate.
The summer still doth tend upon my state,
And I do love thee. Therefore go with me.
I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee,
145
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep
And sing while thou on pressèd flowers dost sleep.
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.—
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed!

Enter four Fairies: ⸢Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed.⸣

⸢PEASEBLOSSOM⸣
150
Ready.

⸢COBWEB⸣
And I.

⸢MOTE⸣
And I.

⸢MUSTARDSEED⸣
And I.

⸢ALL⸣
Where shall we go?

TITANIA
155
Be kind and courteous to this gentleman.
Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes;
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees,
160
And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs
And light them at the fiery glowworms’ eyes
To have my love to bed and to arise;
And pluck the wings from painted butterflies
To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes.
165
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.

⸢PEASEBLOSSOM⸣
Hail, mortal!

⸢COBWEB⸣
Hail!

⸢MOTE⸣
Hail!

⸢MUSTARDSEED⸣
Hail!

BOTTOM
170
I cry your Worships mercy, heartily.—I beseech your Worship’s name.

COBWEB
Cobweb.

BOTTOM
I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb. If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you.—Your name, honest gentleman?

PEASEBLOSSOM
175
Peaseblossom.

BOTTOM
I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too.—Your name, I beseech you, sir?

MUSTARDSEED
180
Mustardseed.

BOTTOM
Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well. That same cowardly, giantlike ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house. I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes
185
water ere now. I desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.

TITANIA
Come, wait upon him. Lead him to my bower.
The moon, methinks, looks with a wat’ry eye,
And when she weeps, weeps every little flower,
190
Lamenting some enforcèd chastity.
Tie up my lover’s tongue. Bring him silently.

⸢They⸣ exit.

⸢Scene 2⸣

Enter ⸢Oberon,⸣ King of Fairies.

OBERON
I wonder if Titania be awaked;
Then what it was that next came in her eye,
Which she must dote on in extremity.
⸢Enter Robin Goodfellow.⸣
Here comes my messenger. How now, mad spirit?
5
What night-rule now about this haunted grove?

ROBIN
My mistress with a monster is in love.
Near to her close and consecrated bower,
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
10
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play
Intended for great Theseus’ nuptial day.
The shall owest thick-skin of that barren sort,
Who Pyramus presented in their sport,
15
Forsook his scene and entered in a brake.
When I did him at this advantage take,
An ass’s noll I fixèd on his head.
Anon his Thisbe must be answerèd,
And forth my ⸢mimic⸣comes. When they him spy,
20
As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye,
Or russet-pated choughs, many in sort,
Rising and cawing at the gun’s report,
Sever themselves and madly sweep the sky,
So at his sight away his fellows fly,
25
And, at our stamp, here o’er and o’er one falls.
He “Murder” cries and help from Athens calls.
Their sense thus weak, lost with their fears thus strong,
Made senseless things begin to do them wrong;
For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch,
30
Some sleeves, some hats, from yielders all things catch.
I led them on in this distracted fear
And left sweet Pyramus translated there.
When in that moment, so it came to pass,
Titania waked and straightway loved an ass.

OBERON
35
This falls out better than I could devise.
But hast thou yet latched the Athenian’s eyes
With the love juice, as I did bid thee do?

ROBIN
I took him sleeping—that is finished, too—
And the Athenian woman by his side,
40
That, when he waked, of force she must be eyed.

Enter Demetrius and Hermia.

OBERON
Stand close. This is the same Athenian.

ROBIN
This is the woman, but not this the man.

⸢They step aside.⸣

DEMETRIUS
O, why rebuke you him that loves you so?
Lay breath so bitter on your bitter foe!

HERMIA
45
Now I but chide, but I should use thee worse,
For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse.
If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep,
Being o’er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep
And kill me too.
50
The sun was not so true unto the day
As he to me. Would he have stolen away
From sleeping Hermia? I’ll believe as soon
This whole Earth may be bored, and that the moon
May through the center creep and so displease
55
Her brother’s noontide with th’ Antipodes.
It cannot be but thou hast murdered him.
So should a murderer look, so dead, so grim.

DEMETRIUS
So should the murdered look, and so should I,
Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty.
60
Yet you, the murderer, look as bright, as clear,
As yonder Venus in her glimmering sphere.

HERMIA
What’s this to my Lysander? Where is he?
Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me?

DEMETRIUS
I had rather give his carcass to my hounds.

HERMIA
65
Out, dog! Out, cur! Thou driv’st me past the bounds
Of maiden’s patience. Hast thou slain him, then?
Henceforth be never numbered among men.
O, once tell true! Tell true, even for my sake!
Durst thou have looked upon him, being awake?
70
And hast thou killed him sleeping? O brave touch!
Could not a worm, an adder, do so much?
An adder did it, for with doubler tongue
Than thine, thou serpent, never adder stung.

DEMETRIUS
You spend your passion on a misprised mood.
75
I am not guilty of Lysander’s blood,
Nor is he dead, for aught that I can tell.

HERMIA
I pray thee, tell me then that he is well.

DEMETRIUS
An if I could, what should I get therefor?

HERMIA
A privilege never to see me more.
80
And from thy hated presence part I ⸢so.⸣
See me no more, whether he be dead or no.

She exits.

DEMETRIUS
There is no following her in this fierce vein.
Here, therefore, for a while I will remain.
So sorrow’s heaviness doth heavier grow
85
For debt that bankrout ⸢sleep⸣doth sorrow owe,
Which now in some slight measure it will pay,
If for his tender here I make some stay.

⸢He⸣ lies down and ⸢falls asleep⸣ .

OBERON
⸢to Robin⸣
What hast thou done? Thou hast mistaken quite
And laid the love juice on some true-love’s sight.
90
Of thy misprision must perforce ensue
Some true-love turned, and not a false turned true.

ROBIN
Then fate o’errules, that, one man holding troth,
A million fail, confounding oath on oath.

OBERON
About the wood go swifter than the wind,
95
And Helena of Athens look thou find.
All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer
With sighs of love that costs the fresh blood dear.
By some illusion see thou bring her here.
I’ll charm his eyes against she do appear.

ROBIN
100
I go, I go, look how I go
Swifter than arrow from the Tartar’s bow.

⸢He exits.⸣

OBERON
⸢applying the nectar to Demetrius’ eyes⸣
Flower of this purple dye,
Hit with Cupid’s archery,
Sink in apple of his eye.
105
When his love he doth espy,
Let her shine as gloriously
As the Venus of the sky.—
When thou wak’st, if she be by,
Beg of her for remedy.

Enter ⸢Robin.⸣

ROBIN
110
Captain of our Fairy band,
Helena is here at hand,
And the youth, mistook by me,
Pleading for a lover’s fee.
Shall we their fond pageant see?
115
Lord, what fools these mortals be!

OBERON
Stand aside. The noise they make
Will cause Demetrius to awake.

ROBIN
Then will two at once woo one.
That must needs be sport alone.
120
And those things do best please me
That befall prepost’rously.

⸢They step aside.⸣
Enter Lysander and Helena.

LYSANDER
Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?
Scorn and derision never come in tears.
Look when I vow, I weep; and vows so born,
125
In their nativity all truth appears.
How can these things in me seem scorn to you,
Bearing the badge of faith to prove them true?

HELENA
You do advance your cunning more and more.
When truth kills truth, O devilish holy fray!
130
These vows are Hermia’s. Will you give her o’er?
Weigh oath with oath and you will nothing weigh.
Your vows to her and me, put in two scales,
Will even weigh, and both as light as tales.

LYSANDER
I had no judgment when to her I swore.

HELENA
135
Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o’er.

LYSANDER
Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.

DEMETRIUS
⸢waking up⸣
O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!
To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show
140
Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealèd white, high Taurus’ snow,
Fanned with the eastern wind, turns to a crow
When thou hold’st up thy hand. O, let me kiss
This princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!

HELENA
145
O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent
To set against me for your merriment.
If you were civil and knew courtesy,
You would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
150
But you must join in souls to mock me too?
If you were men, as men you are in show,
You would not use a gentle lady so,
To vow and swear and superpraise my parts,
When, I am sure, you hate me with your hearts.
155
You both are rivals and love Hermia,
And now both rivals to mock Helena.
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid’s eyes
With your derision! None of noble sort
160
Would so offend a virgin and extort
A poor soul’s patience, all to make you sport.

LYSANDER
You are unkind, Demetrius. Be not so,
For you love Hermia; this you know I know.
And here with all goodwill, with all my heart,
165
In Hermia’s love I yield you up my part.
And yours of Helena to me bequeath,
Whom I do love and will do till my death.

DEMETRIUS
Lysander, keep thy Hermia. I will none.
If e’er I loved her, all that love is gone.
170
My heart to her but as guest-wise sojourned,
And now to Helen is it home returned,
There to remain.

LYSANDER
Helen, it is not so.

DEMETRIUS
Disparage not the faith thou dost not know,
Lest to thy peril thou aby it dear.
175
Look where thy love comes. Yonder is thy dear.
Enter Hermia.
⸢to Lysander⸣
Dark night, that from the eye his function takes,
The ear more quick of apprehension makes;
Wherein it doth impair the seeing sense,
It pays the hearing double recompense.
180
Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found;
Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound.
But why unkindly didst thou leave me so?

LYSANDER
Why should he stay whom love doth press to go?

HERMIA
What love could press Lysander from my side?

LYSANDER
185
Lysander’s love, that would not let him bide,
Fair Helena, who more engilds the night
Than all yon fiery oes and eyes of light.
Why seek’st thou me? Could not this make thee know
The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?

HERMIA
190
You speak not as you think. It cannot be.

HELENA
Lo, she is one of this confederacy!
Now I perceive they have conjoined all three
To fashion this false sport in spite of me.—
Injurious Hermia, most ungrateful maid,
195
Have you conspired, have you with these contrived,
To bait me with this foul derision?
Is all the counsel that we two have shared,
The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
200
For parting us—O, is all forgot?
All schooldays’ friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,
Have with our needles created both one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
205
Both warbling of one song, both in one key,
As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds
Had been incorporate. So we grew together
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition,
210
Two lovely berries molded on one stem;
So with two seeming bodies but one heart,
Two of the first, ⸢like⸣ coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crownèd with one crest.
And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
215
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly; ’tis not maidenly.
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it,
Though I alone do feel the injury.

HERMIA
I am amazèd at your words.
220
I scorn you not. It seems that you scorn me.

HELENA
Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,
To follow me and praise my eyes and face,
And made your other love, Demetrius,
Who even but now did spurn me with his foot,
225
To call me goddess, nymph, divine and rare,
Precious, celestial? Wherefore speaks he this
To her he hates? And wherefore doth Lysander
Deny your love (so rich within his soul)
And tender me, forsooth, affection,
230
But by your setting on, by your consent?
What though I be not so in grace as you,
So hung upon with love, so fortunate,
But miserable most, to love unloved?
This you should pity rather than despise.

HERMIA
235
I understand not what you mean by this.

HELENA
Ay, do. Persever, counterfeit sad looks,
Make mouths upon me when I turn my back,
Wink each at other, hold the sweet jest up.
This sport, well carried, shall be chronicled.
240
If you have any pity, grace, or manners,
You would not make me such an argument.
But fare you well. ’Tis partly my own fault,
Which death or absence soon shall remedy.

LYSANDER
Stay, gentle Helena. Hear my excuse,
245
My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena.

HELENA
O excellent!

HERMIA
⸢to Lysander⸣
Sweet, do not scorn her so.

DEMETRIUS
⸢to Lysander⸣
If she cannot entreat, I can compel.

LYSANDER
Thou canst compel no more than she entreat.
Thy threats have no more strength than her weak ⸢prayers.⸣—
250
Helen, I love thee. By my life, I do.
I swear by that which I will lose for thee,
To prove him false that says I love thee not.

DEMETRIUS
I say I love thee more than he can do.

LYSANDER
If thou say so, withdraw and prove it too.

DEMETRIUS
255
Quick, come.

LYSANDER
whereto tends all this?

⸢She takes hold of Lysander.⸣

LYSANDER
Away, you Ethiop!

DEMETRIUS
⸢to Hermia⸣
No, no. He’ll
Seem to break loose.
⸢To Lysander.⸣
Take on as you
would follow,
260
But yet come not. You are a tame man, go!

LYSANDER
⸢to Hermia⸣
Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! Vile thing, let loose,
Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent.

HERMIA
Why are you grown so rude? What change is this,
Sweet love?

LYSANDER
Thy love? Out, tawny Tartar, out!
265
Out, loathèd med’cine! O, hated potion, hence!

HERMIA
Do you not jest?

HELENA
Yes, sooth, and so do you.

LYSANDER
Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee.

DEMETRIUS
I would I had your bond. For I perceive
A weak bond holds you. I’ll not trust your word.

LYSANDER
270
What? Should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead?
Although I hate her, I’ll not harm her so.

HERMIA
What, can you do me greater harm than hate?
Hate me? Wherefore? O me, what news, my love?
Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lysander?
275
I am as fair now as I was erewhile.
Since night you loved me; yet since night you left me.
Why, then, you left me—O, the gods forbid!—
In earnest, shall I say?

LYSANDER
Ay, by my life,
And never did desire to see thee more.
280
Therefore be out of hope, of question, of doubt.
Be certain, nothing truer, ’tis no jest
That I do hate thee and love Helena.

⸢Hermia turns him loose.⸣

HERMIA
⸢To Helena⸣
O me! You juggler, you cankerblossom,
You thief of love! What, have you come by night
285
And stol’n my love’s heart from him?

HELENA
Fine, i’ faith.
Have you no modesty, no maiden shame,
No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear
Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?
Fie, fie, you counterfeit, you puppet, you!

HERMIA
290
“Puppet”? Why so? Ay, that way goes the game.
Now I perceive that she hath made compare
Between our statures; she hath urged her height,
And with her personage, her tall personage,
Her height, forsooth, she hath prevailed with him.
295
And are you grown so high in his esteem
Because I am so dwarfish and so low?
How low am I, thou painted maypole? Speak!
How low am I? I am not yet so low
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

HELENA
300
I pray you, though you mock me, ⸢gentlemen,⸣
Let her not hurt me. I was never curst;
I have no gift at all in shrewishness.
I am a right maid for my cowardice.
Let her not strike me. You perhaps may think,
305
Because she is something lower than myself,
That I can match her.

HERMIA
“Lower”? Hark, again!

HELENA
Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me.
I evermore did love you, Hermia,
Did ever keep your counsels, never wronged you—
310
Save that, in love unto Demetrius,
I told him of your stealth unto this wood.
He followed you; for love, I followed him.
But he hath chid me hence and threatened me
To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too.
315
And now, so you will let me quiet go,
To Athens will I bear my folly back
And follow you no further. Let me go.
You see how simple and how fond I am.

HERMIA
Why, get you gone. Who is ’t that hinders you?

HELENA
320
A foolish heart that I leave here behind.

HERMIA
What, with Lysander?

HELENA
With Demetrius.

LYSANDER
Be not afraid. She shall not harm thee, Helena.

DEMETRIUS
No, sir, she shall not, though you take her part.

HELENA
O, when she is angry, she is keen and shrewd.
325
She was a vixen when she went to school,
And though she be but little, she is fierce.

HERMIA
“Little” again? Nothing ⸢but⸣ “low” and “little”?
Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?
Let me come to her.

LYSANDER
Get you gone, you dwarf,
330
You minimus of hind’ring knotgrass made,
You bead, you acorn—

DEMETRIUS
You are too officious
In her behalf that scorns your services.
Let her alone. Speak not of Helena.
Take not her part. For if thou dost intend
335
Never so little show of love to her,
Thou shalt aby it.

LYSANDER
Now she holds me not.
Now follow, if thou dar’st, to try whose right,
Of thine or mine, is most in Helena.

DEMETRIUS
“Follow”? Nay, I’ll go with thee, cheek by jowl.

⸢Demetrius and Lysander exit.⸣

HERMIA
340
You, mistress, all this coil is long of you.
⸢Helena retreats.⸣
Nay, go not back.

HELENA
I will not trust you, I,
Nor longer stay in your curst company.
Your hands than mine are quicker for a fray.
My legs are longer though, to run away.

⸢She exits.⸣

HERMIA
345
I am amazed and know not what to say.

⸢She exits.⸣

OBERON
⸢to Robin⸣
This is thy negligence. Still thou mistak’st,
Or else committ’st thy knaveries willfully.

ROBIN
Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.
Did not you tell me I should know the man
350
By the Athenian garments he had on?
And so far blameless proves my enterprise
That I have ’nointed an Athenian’s eyes;
And so far am I glad it so did sort,
As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

OBERON
355
Thou seest these lovers seek a place to fight.
Hie, therefore, Robin, overcast the night;
The starry welkin cover thou anon
With drooping fog as black as Acheron,
And lead these testy rivals so astray
360
As one come not within another’s way.
Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue;
Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong.
And sometime rail thou like Demetrius.
And from each other look thou lead them thus,
365
Till o’er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep
With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep.
Then crush this herb into Lysander’s eye,
⸢He gives a flower to Robin.⸣
Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error with his might
370
And make his eyeballs roll with wonted sight.
When they next wake, all this derision
Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision.
And back to Athens shall the lovers wend,
With league whose date till death shall never end.
375
Whiles I in this affair do thee employ,
I’ll to my queen and beg her Indian boy;
And then I will her charmèd eye release
From monster’s view, and all things shall be peace.

ROBIN
My Fairy lord, this must be done with haste,
380
For night’s swift dragons cut the clouds full fast,
And yonder shines Aurora’s harbinger,
At whose approach, ghosts wand’ring here and there
Troop home to churchyards. Damnèd spirits all,
That in crossways and floods have burial,
385
Already to their wormy beds are gone.
For fear lest day should look their shames upon,
They willfully themselves exile from light
And must for aye consort with black-browed night.

OBERON
But we are spirits of another sort.
390
I with the Morning’s love have oft made sport
And, like a forester, the groves may tread
Even till the eastern gate, all fiery red,
Opening on Neptune with fair blessèd beams,
Turns into yellow gold his salt-green streams.
395
But notwithstanding, haste! Make no delay.
We may effect this business yet ere day.

⸢He exits.⸣

ROBIN
Up and down, up and down,
I will lead them up and down.
I am feared in field and town.
400
Goblin, lead them up and down.
Here comes one.

Enter Lysander.

LYSANDER
Where art thou, proud Demetrius? Speak thou now.

ROBIN
⸢in Demetrius’ voice⸣
Here, villain, drawn and ready. Where art thou?

LYSANDER
I will be with thee straight.

ROBIN
405
⸢in Demetrius’ voice⸣
Follow me, then, to plainer ground.

⸢Lysander exits.⸣
Enter Demetrius.

DEMETRIUS
Lysander, speak again.
Thou run away, thou coward, art thou fled?
Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou hide thy head?

ROBIN
⸢in Lysander’s voice⸣
Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars,
410
Telling the bushes that thou look’st for wars,
And wilt not come? Come, recreant! Come, thou child!
I’ll whip thee with a rod. He is defiled
That draws a sword on thee.

DEMETRIUS
Yea, art thou there?

ROBIN
⸢in Lysander’s voice⸣
Follow my voice. We’ll try no manhood here.

⸢They exit.⸣
⸢Enter Lysander.⸣

LYSANDER
415
He goes before me and still dares me on.
When I come where he calls, then he is gone.
The villain is much lighter-heeled than I.
I followed fast, but faster he did fly,
That f ALL en am I in dark uneven way,
420
And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day,
For if but once thou show me thy gray light,
I’ll find Demetrius and revenge this spite.

⸢He lies down and sleeps.⸣
⸢Enter⸣ Robin and Demetrius.

ROBIN
⸢in Lysander’s voice⸣
Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why com’st thou not?

DEMETRIUS
Abide me, if thou dar’st, for well I wot
425
Thou runn’st before me, shifting every place,
And dar’st not stand nor look me in the face.
Where art thou now?

ROBIN
⸢in Lysander’s voice⸣
Come hither. I am here.

DEMETRIUS
Nay, then, thou mock’st me. Thou shalt buy this dear
If ever I thy face by daylight see.
430
Now go thy way. Faintness constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.
By day’s approach look to be visited.

⸢He lies down and sleeps.⸣
Enter Helena.

HELENA
O weary night, O long and tedious night,
Abate thy hours! Shine, comforts, from the east,
435
That I may back to Athens by daylight
From these that my poor company detest.
And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow’s eye,
Steal me awhile from mine own company.

⸢She lies down and⸣sleeps.

ROBIN
Yet but three? Come one more.
440
Two of both kinds makes up four.
Here she comes, curst and sad.
Cupid is a knavish lad
Thus to make poor females mad.

⸢Enter Hermia.⸣

HERMIA
Never so weary, never so in woe,
445
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!

⸢She lies down and sleeps.⸣

ROBIN
450
On the ground
Sleep sound.
I’ll apply
⸢To⸣ your eye,
Gentle lover, remedy.
455
⸢Robin applies the nectar to Lysander’s eyes.⸣
When thou wak’st,
Thou tak’st
True delight
In the sight
Of thy former lady’s eye.
460
And the country proverb known,
That every man should take his own,
In your waking shall be shown.
Jack shall have Jill;
Naught shall go ill;
465
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well

⸢He exits.⸣

⸢ACT 4⸣

⸢Scene 1⸣

⸢With the four lovers still asleep onstage,⸣ enter ⸢Titania,⸣ Queen of Fairies, and ⸢Bottom⸣ and Fairies, and ⸢Oberon,⸣ the King, behind them ⸢unseen by those onstage.⸣

TITANIA
Come, sit thee down upon this flow’ry bed,
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,
And stick muskroses in thy sleek smooth head,
And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.

BOTTOM
5
Where’s Peaseblossom?

PEASEBLOSSOM
Ready.

BOTTOM
Scratch my head, Peaseblossom. Where’s Monsieur Cobweb?

COBWEB
Ready.

BOTTOM
Monsieur Cobweb, good monsieur, get you
10
your weapons in your hand and kill me a red-hipped humble-bee on the top of a thistle, and, good monsieur, bring me the honey-bag. Do not fret yourself too much in the action, monsieur, and, good monsieur, have a care the honey-bag break
15
not; I would be loath to have you overflown with a honey-bag, signior. ⸢Cobweb exits.⸣ Where’s Monsieur Mustardseed?

MUSTARDSEED
Ready.

BOTTOM
Give me your neaf, Monsieur Mustardseed.
20
Pray you, leave your courtesy, good monsieur.

MUSTARDSEED
What’s your will?

BOTTOM
Nothing, good monsieur, but to help Cavalery Cobweb to scratch. I must to the barber’s, monsieur, for methinks I am marvels hairy about
25
the face. And I am such a tender ass, if my hair do but tickle me, I must scratch.

TITANIA
What, wilt thou hear some music, my sweet love?

BOTTOM
I have a reasonable good ear in music. Let’s have the tongs and the bones.

TITANIA
30
Or say, sweet love, what thou desirest to eat.

BOTTOM
Truly, a peck of provender. I could munch your good dry oats. Methinks I have a great desire to a bottle of hay. Good hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow.

TITANIA
I have a venturous Fairy that shall seek
35
The squirrel’s hoard and fetch thee new nuts.

BOTTOM
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 exposition of sleep come upon me.

TITANIA
Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms.—
40
Fairies, begone, and be all ways away.
⸢Fairies exit.⸣
So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle
Gently entwist; the female ivy so
Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.
O, how I love thee! How I dote on thee!

⸢Bottom and Titania sleep.⸣
Enter Robin Goodfellow.

OBERON
45
Welcome, good Robin. Seest thou this sweet sight?
Her dotage now I do begin to pity.
For, meeting her of late behind the wood,
Seeking sweet favors for this hateful fool,
I did upbraid her and fall out with her.
50
For she his hairy temples then had rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers;
And that same dew, which sometime on the buds
Was wont to swell like round and orient pearls,
Stood now within the pretty flouriets’ eyes,
55
Like tears that did their own disgrace bewail.
When I had at my pleasure taunted her,
And she in mild terms begged my patience,
I then did ask of her her changeling child,
Which straight she gave me, and her Fairy sent
60
To bear him to my bower in Fairyland.
And now I have the boy, I will undo
This hateful imperfection of her eyes.
And, gentle Puck, take this transformèd scalp
From off the head of this Athenian swain,
65
That he, awaking when the other do,
May all to Athens back again repair
And think no more of this night’s accidents
But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
But first I will release the Fairy Queen.
⸢He applies the nectar to her eyes.⸣
70
Be as thou wast wont to be.
See as thou wast wont to see.
Dian’s bud o’er Cupid’s flower
Hath such force and blessèd power.
Now, my Titania, wake you, my sweet queen.

TITANIA
75
⸢waking⸣
My Oberon, what visions have I seen!
Methought I was enamored of an ass.

OBERON
There lies your love.

TITANIA
How came these things to pass?
O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!

OBERON
Silence awhile.—Robin, take off this head.—
80
Titania, music call; and strike more dead
Than common sleep of all these five the sense.

ROBIN
⸢removing the ass-head from Bottom⸣
Now, when thou wak’st, with thine own fool’s eyes peep.

OBERON
Sound music.
⸢Music.⸣
Come, my queen, take hands with me,
And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
⸢Titania and Oberon dance.⸣
85
Now thou and I are new in amity,
And will tomorrow midnight solemnly
Dance in Duke Theseus’ house triumphantly,
And bless it to all fair prosperity.
There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
90
Wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity.

ROBIN
Fairy king, attend and mark.
I do hear the morning lark.

OBERON
Then, my queen, in silence sad
Trip we after night’s shade.
95
We the globe can compass soon,
Swifter than the wand’ring moon.

TITANIA
Come, my lord, and in our flight
Tell me how it came this night
That I sleeping here was found
100
With these mortals on the ground.

⸢Oberon, Robin, and Titania exit.⸣
Wind horn. Enter Theseus and all his train, ⸢Hippolita, Egeus.⸣

THESEUS
Go, one of you, find out the Forester.
For now our observation is performed,
And, since we have the vaward of the day,
My love shall hear the music of my hounds.
105
Uncouple in the western valley; let them go.
Dispatch, I say, and find the Forester.
⸢A Servant exits.⸣
We will, fair queen, up to the mountain’s top
And mark the musical confusion
Of hounds and echo in conjunction.

HIPPOLYTA
110
I was with Hercules and Cadmus once,
When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear
With hounds of Sparta. Never did I hear
Such gallant chiding, for, besides the groves,
The skies, the fountains, every region near
115
Seemed all one mutual cry. I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.

THESEUS
My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,
So flewed, so sanded; and their heads are hung
With ears that sweep away the morning dew;
120
Crook-kneed, and dewlapped like Thessalian bulls;
Slow in pursuit, but matched in mouth like bells,
Each under each. A cry more tunable
Was never holloed to, nor cheered with horn,
In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly.
125
Judge when you hear.—But soft! What nymphs are these?

EGEUS
My lord, this⸢is⸣my daughter here asleep,
And this Lysander; this Demetrius is,
This Helena, old Nedar’s Helena.
I wonder of their being here together.

THESEUS
130
No doubt they rose up early to observe
The rite of May, and hearing our intent,
Came here in grace of our solemnity.
But speak, Egeus. Is not this the day
That Hermia should give answer of her choice?

EGEUS
135
It is, my lord.

THESEUS
Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns.

⸢A Servant exits⸣.
Shout within. Wind horns. They all start up.

THESEUS
Good morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past.
Begin these woodbirds but to couple now?

⸢Demerius, Helena, Hermia, and Lysander kneel.⸣

LYSANDER
Pardon, my lord.

THESEUS
I pray you all , stand up.
⸢They rise.⸣
140
I know you two are rival enemies.
How comes this gentle concord in the world,
That hatred is so far from jealousy
To sleep by hate and fear no enmity?

LYSANDER
My lord, I shall reply amazèdly,
145
Half sleep, half waking. But as yet, I swear,
I cannot truly say how I came here.
But, as I think—for truly would I speak,
And now I do bethink me, so it is:
I came with Hermia hither. Our intent
150
Was to be gone from Athens, where we might,
Without the peril of the Athenian law—

EGEUS
Enough, enough!—My lord, you have enough.
I beg the law, the law upon his head.
They would have stol’n away.—They would, Demetrius,
155
Thereby to have defeated you and me:
You of your wife and me of my consent,
Of my consent that she should be your wife.

DEMETRIUS
My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth,
Of this their purpose hither to this wood,
160
And I in fury hither followed them,
Fair Helena in fancy following me.
But, my good lord, I wot not by what power
(But by some power it is) my love to Hermia,
Melted as the snow, seems to me now
165
As the remembrance of an idle gaud
Which in my childhood I did dote upon,
And all the faith, the virtue of my heart,
The object and the pleasure of mine eye,
Is only Helena. To her, my lord,
170
Was I betrothed ere I ⸢saw⸣Hermia.
But like a sickness did I loathe this food.
But, as in health, come to my natural taste,
Now I do wish it, love it, long for it,
And will forevermore be true to it.

THESEUS
175
Fair lovers, you are fortunately met.
Of this discourse we more will hear anon.—

EGEUS
I will overbear your will,
For in the temple by and by, with us,
These couples shall eternally be knit.—
180
And, for the morning now is something worn,
Our purposed hunting shall be set aside.
Away with us to Athens. Three and three,
We’ll hold a feast in great solemnity.
Come, Hippolyta.

⸢Theseus and his train, including Hippolyta and Egeus, exit.⸣

DEMETRIUS
185
These things seem small and undistinguishable,
Like far-off mountains turnèd into clouds.

HERMIA
Methinks I see these things with parted eye,
When everything seems double.

HELENA
So methinks.
And I have found Demetrius like a jewel,
190
Mine own and not mine own.

DEMETRIUS
Are you sure
That we are awake? It seems to me
That yet we sleep, we dream. Do not you think
The Duke was here and bid us follow him?

HERMIA
Yea, and my father.

HELENA
And Hippolyta.

LYSANDER
195
And he did bid us follow to the temple.

DEMETRIUS
Why, then, we are awake. Let’s follow him,
And by the way let ⸢us⸣ recount our dreams.

⸢Lovers exit.⸣

BOTTOM
⸢waking up⸣ When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is “Most fair Pyramus.”
200
Hey-ho! Peter Quince! Flute the bellows-mender! Snout the tinker! Starveling! God’s my life! Stolen hence and left me asleep! I have had a most rare 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
205
⸢to⸣ expound this dream. Methought I was—there is no man can tell what. Methought I was and methought I had—but man is but ⸢a patched⸣ fool if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen,
210
man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream. It shall be called “Bottom’s Dream” because it hath no Bottom; and I will sing it in the
215
latter end of a play, before the Duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death.

⸢He exits.⸣

⸢Scene 2⸣

Enter Quince, Flute, ⸢Snout, and Starveling.⸣

QUINCE
Have you sent to Bottom’s house? Is he come home yet?

⸢STARVELING⸣
He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is transported.

FLUTE
If he come not, then the play is marred. It goes not forward, doth it?

QUINCE
It is not possible. You have not a man in all Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he.

FLUTE
5
No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraftman in Athens.

QUINCE
Yea, and the best person too, and he is a very paramour for a sweet voice.

FLUTE
You must say “paragon.” A “paramour” is (God bless us) a thing of naught.

Enter Snug the joiner.

SNUG
Masters, the Duke is coming from the temple, and there is two or three lords and ladies more
10
married. If our sport had gone forward, we had all been made men.

FLUTE
O, sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a day during his life. He could not have ’scaped sixpence a day. An the Duke had not given
15
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!
Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy hour!

BOTTOM
20
Masters, I am to discourse wonders. But ask me not what; for, if I tell you, I am not true Athenian. I will tell you everything right as it fell out.

QUINCE
Let us hear, sweet Bottom.

BOTTOM
Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is that
25
the Duke hath dined. Get your apparel together, good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your pumps. Meet presently at the palace. Every man look o’er his part. For the short and the long is, our play is preferred. In any case, let Thisbe have clean
30
linen, and let not him that plays the lion pare his nails, for they shall hang out for the lion’s claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath, and I do not doubt but to hear them say it is a sweet comedy. No more
35
words. Away! Go, away!

⸢They exit.⸣

⸢ACT 5⸣

⸢Scene 1⸣

Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, and Philostrate, ⸢Lords, and Attendants.⸣

HIPPOLYTA
’Tis strange, my Theseus, that these lovers speak of.

THESEUS
More strange than true. I never may believe
These antique fables nor these Fairy toys.
Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,
5
Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
More than cool reason ever comprehends.
The lunatic, the lover, and the poet
Are of imagination all compact.
One sees more devils than vast hell can hold:
10
That is the madman. The lover, all as frantic,
Sees Helen’s beauty in a brow of Egypt.
The poet’s eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
Doth glance from heaven to Earth, from Earth to heaven,
And as imagination bodies forth
15
The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen
Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name.
Such tricks hath strong imagination
That, if it would but apprehend some joy,
20
It comprehends some bringer of that joy.
Or in the night, imagining some fear,
How easy is a bush supposed a bear!

HIPPOLYTA
But all the story of the night told over,
And all their minds transfigured so together,
25
More witnesseth than fancy’s images
And grows to something of great constancy,
But, howsoever, strange and admirable.

Enter Lovers: LysanderDemetrius, Hermia, and Helena.

THESEUS
Here come the lovers full of joy and mirth.—
Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love
30
Accompany your hearts!

LYSANDER
More than to us
Wait in your royal walks, your board, your bed!

THESEUS
Come now, what masques, what dances shall we have
To wear away this long age of three hours
Between our after-supper and bedtime?
35
Where is ⸢our⸣ usual manager of mirth?
What revels are in hand? Is there no play
To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?
Call Philostrate.

PHILOSTRATE
⸢coming forward⸣
Here, mighty Theseus

THESEUS
Say what abridgment have you for this evening,
40
What masque, what music? How shall we beguile
The lazy time if not with some delight?

PHILOSTRATE
⸢giving Theseus a paper⸣
There is a brief how many sports are ripe.
Make choice of which your Highness will see first.

THESEUS
“The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung
45
By an Athenian eunuch to the harp.”
We’ll none of that. That have I told my love
In glory of my kinsman Hercules.
“The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals,
Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage.”
50
That is an old device, and it was played
When I from Thebes came last a conqueror.
“The thrice-three Muses mourning for the death
Of learning, late deceased in beggary.”
That is some satire, keen and critical,
55
Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony.
“A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus
And his love Thisbe, very tragical mirth.”
“Merry” and “tragical”? “Tedious” and “brief”?
That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow!
60
How shall we find the concord of this discord?

PHILOSTRATE
A play there is, my lord, some ten words long
(Which is as brief as I have known a play),
But by ten words, my lord, it is too long,
Which makes it tedious; for in all the play,
65
There is not one word apt, one player fitted.
And tragical, my noble lord, it is.
For Pyramus therein doth kill himself,
Which, when I saw rehearsed, I must confess,
Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears
70
The passion of loud laughter never shed.

THESEUS
What are they that do play it?

PHILOSTRATE
Hard-handed men that work in Athens here,
Which never labored in their minds till now,
And now have toiled their unbreathed memories
75
With this same play, against your nuptial.

THESEUS
And we will hear it.

PHILOSTRATE
No, my noble lord,
It is not for you. I have heard it over,
And it is nothing, nothing in the world,
Unless you can find sport in their intents,
80
Extremely stretched and conned with cruel pain
To do you service.

THESEUS
I will hear that play,
For never anything can be amiss
When simpleness and duty tender it.
Go, bring them in—and take your places, ladies.

⸢Philostrate exits⸣.

HIPPOLYTA
85
I love not to see wretchedness o’ercharged,
And duty in his service perishing.

THESEUS
Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such thing.

HIPPOLYTA
He says they can do nothing in this kind.

THESEUS
The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing.
90
Our sport shall be to take what they mistake;
And what poor duty cannot do, noble respect
Takes it in might, not merit.
Where I have come, great clerks have purposèd
To greet me with premeditated welcomes,
95
Where I have seen them shiver and look pale,
Make periods in the midst of sentences,
Throttle their practiced accent in their fears,
And in conclusion dumbly have broke off,
Not paying me a welcome. Trust me, sweet,
100
Out of this silence yet I picked a welcome,
And in the modesty of fearful duty,
I read as much as from the rattling tongue
Of saucy and audacious eloquence.
Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity
105
In least speak most, to my capacity.

⸢Enter Philostrate.⸣

PHILOSTRATE
So please your Grace, the Prologue is addressed.

THESEUS
Let him approach.

Enter the Prologue.

PROLOGUE
If we offend, it is with our goodwill.
That you should think we come not to offend,
110
To show our simple skill,
That is the true beginning of our end.
Consider, then, we come but in despite.
We do not come, as minding to content you,
Our true intent is. All for your delight
115
We are not here. That you should here repent you,
The actors are at hand, and, by their show,
You shall know all that you are like to know.

⸢Prologue exits.⸣

THESEUS
This fellow doth not stand upon points.

LYSANDER
He hath rid his prologue like a rough colt;
120
he knows not the stop. A good moral, my lord: it is not enough to speak, but to speak true.

HIPPOLYTA
Indeed he hath played on this prologue like a child on a recorder—a sound, but not in government.

THESEUS
His speech was like a tangled chain—nothing
125
impaired, but all disordered. Who is next?

Enter Pyramus ⸢(Bottom),⸣ and Thisbe ⸢(Flute),⸣ and Wall ⸢(Snout),⸣ and Moonshine ⸢(Starveling),⸣ and Lion ⸢(Snug),⸣ and Prologue ⸢(Quince)⸣.

QUINCE
(as Prologue)
Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show.
But wonder on, till truth make all things plain.
This man is Pyramus, if you would know.
This beauteous lady Thisbe is certain.
130
This man with lime and roughcast doth present
“Wall,” that vile wall which did these lovers sunder;
And through Wall’s chink, poor souls, they are content
To whisper, at the which let no man wonder.
This man, with lantern, dog, and bush of thorn,
135
Presenteth “Moonshine,” for, if you will know,
By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn
To meet at Ninus’ tomb, there, there to woo.
This grisly beast (which “Lion” hight by name)
The trusty Thisbe coming first by night
140
Did ⸢scare⸣away or rather did affright;
And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall,
Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain.
Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall,
And finds his trusty Thisbe’s mantle slain.
145
Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade,
He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast.
And Thisbe, tarrying in mulberry shade,
His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest,
Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall , and lovers twain
150
At large discourse, while here they do remain.

THESEUS
I wonder if the lion be to speak.

DEMETRIUS
No wonder, my lord. One lion may when many asses do.

Lion, Thisbe, Moonshine, ⸢and Prologue⸣ exit.

SNOUT
(as Wall)
In this same interlude it doth befall
That I, one ⸢Snout⸣ by name, present a wall ;
155
And such a wall as I would have you think
That had in it a crannied hole or chink,
Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe,
Did whisper often, very secretly.
This loam, this roughcast, and this stone doth show
160
That I am that same wall . The truth is so.
And this the cranny is, right and sinister,
Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.

THESEUS
Would you desire lime and hair to speak better?

DEMETRIUS
It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard discourse, my lord.

THESEUS
165
Pyramus draws near the wall . Silence.

BOTTOM
(as Pyramus)
O grim-looked night! O night with hue so black!
O night, which ever art when day is not!
O night! O night! Alack, alack, alack!
I fear my Thisbe’s promise is forgot.
170
And thou, O wall , O sweet, O lovely wall ,
That stand’st between her father’s ground and mine,
Thou wall , O wall , O sweet and lovely wall,
Show me thy chink to blink through with mine eyne.
Thanks, courteous wall . Jove shield thee well for this.
175
But what see I? No Thisbe do I see.
O wicked wall , through whom I see no bliss,
Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me!

THESEUS
The wall , methinks, being sensible, should curse again.

BOTTOM
No, in truth, sir, he should not. “Deceiving
180
me” is Thisbe’s cue. She is to enter now, and I am to spy her through the wall . You shall see it will fall pat as I told you. Yonder she comes.

Enter Thisbe ⸢(Flute).⸣

FLUTE
(as Thisbe)
O wall , full often hast thou heard my moans
For parting my fair Pyramus and me.
185
My cherry lips have often kissed thy stones,
Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.

BOTTOM
(as Pyramus)
I see a voice! Now will I to the chink
To spy an I can hear my Thisbe’s face.
Thisbe?

FLUTE
(as Thisbe)
My love! Thou art my love, I think.

BOTTOM
190
(as Pyramus)
Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover’s grace,
And, like Limander, am I trusty still.

FLUTE
(as Thisbe)
And I like Helen, till the Fates me kill.

BOTTOM
(as Pyramus)
Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true.

FLUTE
(as Thisbe)
As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you.

BOTTOM
195
(as Pyramus)
O kiss me through the hole of this vile wall.

FLUTE
(as Thisbe)
I kiss the wall ’s hole, not your lips at all .

BOTTOM
(as Pyramus)
Wilt thou at Ninny’s tomb meet me straightway?

FLUTE
(as Thisbe)
’Tide life, ’tide death, I come without delay.

⸢Bottom and Flute exit.⸣

SNOUT
(as Wall)
Thus have I, Wall , my part dischargèd so,
200
And, being done, thus Wall away doth go.

⸢He exits.⸣

THESEUS
Now is the ⸢wall down⸣ between the two neighbors.

DEMETRIUS
No remedy, my lord, when walls are so willful to hear without warning.

HIPPOLYTA
This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.

THESEUS
205
The best in this kind are but shadows, and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.

HIPPOLYTA
It must be your imagination, then, and not theirs.

THESEUS
If we imagine no worse of them than they of themselves, they may pass for excellent men. Here
210
come two noble beasts in, a man and a lion.

Enter Lion ⸢(Snug)⸣ and Moonshine ⸢(Starveling)⸣.

SNUG
⸢as Lion⸣
You ladies, you whose gentle hearts do fear
The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor,
May now perchance both quake and tremble here,
When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar.
215
Then know that I, as Snug the joiner, am
A lion fell, nor else no lion’s dam;
For if I should as lion come in strife
Into this place, ’twere pity on my life.

THESEUS
A very gentle beast, and of a good conscience.

DEMETRIUS
220
The very best at a beast, my lord, that e’er I saw.

LYSANDER
This lion is a very fox for his valor.

THESEUS
True, and a goose for his discretion.

DEMETRIUS
Not so, my lord, for his valor cannot carry his discretion, and the fox carries the goose.

THESEUS
225
His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his valor, for the goose carries not the fox. It is well. Leave it to his discretion, and let us listen to the Moon.

STARVELING
(as Moonshine) This lanthorn doth the hornèd moon present.

DEMETRIUS
He should have worn the horns on his head.

THESEUS
230
He is no crescent, and his horns are invisible within the circumference.

STARVELING
(as Moonshine) This lanthorn doth the hornèd moon present. Myself the man i’ th’ moon do seem to be.

THESEUS
This is the greatest error of all the rest; the man should be put into the lanthorn. How is it else
235
“the man i’ th’ moon”?

DEMETRIUS
He dares not come there for the candle, for you see, it is already in snuff.

HIPPOLYTA
I am aweary of this moon. Would he would change.

THESEUS
It appears by his small light of discretion that
240
he is in the wane; but yet, in courtesy, in all reason, we must stay the time.

LYSANDER
Proceed, Moon.

STARVELING
(as Moonshine) All that I have to say is to tell you that the lanthorn is the moon, I the man i’ th’
245
moon, this thornbush my thornbush, and this dog my dog.

DEMETRIUS
Why, all these should be in the lanthorn, for all these are in the moon. But silence. Here comes Thisbe.

Enter Thisbe ⸢(Flute).⸣

FLUTE
(as Thisbe)
This is old Ninny’s tomb. Where is my love?

SNUG
(as Lion) O!

⸢The Lion roars. Thisbe runs off, dropping her mantle.⸣

DEMETRIUS
250
Well roared, Lion.

THESEUS
Well run, Thisbe.

HIPPOLYTA
Well shone, Moon. Truly, the Moon shines with a good grace.

⸢Lion worries the mantle.⸣

THESEUS
Well moused, Lion.

Enter Pyramus ⸢(Bottom).⸣

DEMETRIUS
And then came Pyramus.

⸢Lion exits.⸣

LYSANDER
255
And so the lion vanished.

BOTTOM
(as Pyramus)
Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams.
I thank thee, Moon, for shining now so bright,
For by thy gracious, golden, glittering ⸢gleams,⸣
I trust to take of truest Thisbe sight.—
260
But stay! O spite!
But mark, poor knight,
What dreadful dole is here!
Eyes, do you see!
How can it be!
265
O dainty duck! O dear!
Thy mantle good—
What, stained with blood?
Approach, ye Furies fell!
O Fates, come, come,
270
Cut thread and thrum,
Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!

THESEUS
This passion, and the death of a dear friend,
would go near to make a man look sad.

HIPPOLYTA
Beshrew my heart but I pity the man.

BOTTOM
275
(as Pyramus)
O, wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame,
Since lion vile hath here deflowered my dear,
Which is—no, no—which was the fairest dame
That lived, that loved, that liked, that looked with cheer?
Come, tears, confound!
280
Out, sword, and wound
The pap of Pyramus;
Ay, that left pap,
Where heart doth hop.
⸢Pyramus stabs himself.⸣
Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.
285
Now am I dead;
Now am I fled;
My soul is in the sky.
Tongue, lose thy light!
Moon, take thy flight!
⸢Moonshine exits.⸣
290
Now die, die, die, die, die.

⸢Pyramus falls.⸣

DEMETRIUS
No die, but an ace for him, for he is but one.

LYSANDER
Less than an ace, man, for he is dead, he is nothing.

THESEUS
With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover and yet prove an ass.

HIPPOLYTA
295
How chance Moonshine is gone before Thisbe comes back and finds her lover?

THESEUS
She will find him by starlight. ⸢Enter Thisbe (Flute).⸣ Here she comes, and her passion ends the play.

HIPPOLYTA
Methinks she should not use a long one for
300
such a Pyramus. I hope she will be brief.

DEMETRIUS
A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which Thisbe, is the better: he for a man, God warrant us; she for a woman, God bless us.

LYSANDER
She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes.

FLUTE
305
(as Thisbe)
Asleep, my love?
What, dead, my dove?
O Pyramus, arise!
Speak, speak. Quite dumb?
Dead? Dead? A tomb
310
Must cover thy sweet eyes.
These lily lips,
This cherry nose,
These yellow cowslip cheeks
Are gone, are gone!
315
Lovers, make moan;
His eyes were green as leeks.
O Sisters Three,
Come, come to me
With hands as pale as milk.
320
Lay them in gore,
Since you have shore
With shears his thread of silk.
Tongue, not a word!
Come, trusty sword,
325
Come, blade, my breast imbrue!
⸢Thisbe stabs herself.⸣
And farewell, friends.
Thus Thisbe ends.
Adieu, adieu, adieu.

⸢Thisbe falls.⸣

THESEUS
Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead.

DEMETRIUS
330
Ay, and Wall too.

⸢Bottom and Flute arise.⸣

BOTTOM
No, I assure you, the wall is down that parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the Epilogue or to hear a Bergomask dance between two of our company?

THESEUS
335
No epilogue, I pray you. For your play needs no excuse. Never excuse. For when the players are all dead, there need none to be blamed. Marry, if he that writ it had played Pyramus and hanged himself in Thisbe’s garter, it would have been a fine
340
tragedy; and so it is, truly, and very notably discharged. But, come, your Bergomask. Let your epilogue alone.
⸢Dance, and the players exit.⸣
ErrorMetrica
The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve.
Lovers, to bed! ’Tis almost Fairy time.
345
I fear we shall outsleep the coming morn
As much as we this night have overwatched.
This palpable-gross play hath well beguiled
The heavy gait of night. Sweet friends, to bed.
A fortnight hold we this solemnity
350
In nightly revels and new jollity.

They exit.
Enter ⸢Robin Goodfellow.⸣

ROBIN
Now the hungry ⸢lion⸣ roars,
And the wolf ⸢behowls⸣ the moon,
Whilst the heavy plowman snores,
All with weary task fordone.
355
Now the wasted brands do glow,
Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,
Puts the wretch that lies in woe
In remembrance of a shroud.
Now it is the time of night
360
That the graves, all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his sprite
In the church-way paths to glide.
And we fairies, that do run
By the triple Hecate’s team
365
From the presence of the sun,
Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic. Not a mouse
Shall disturb this hall owed house.
I am sent with broom before,
370
To sweep the dust behind the door.

Enter ⸢Oberon and Titania,⸣ King and Queen of Fairies, with all their train.

OBERON
Through the house give glimmering light,
By the dead and drowsy fire.
Every elf and Fairy sprite,
Hop as light as bird from brier,
375
And this ditty after me,
Sing and dance it trippingly.

TITANIA
First rehearse your song by rote,
To each word a warbling note.
Hand in hand, with Fairy grace,
380
Will we sing and bless this place.

⸢Oberon leads the Fairies in song and dance.⸣

OBERON
Now, until the break of day,
Through this house each Fairy stray.
To the best bride-bed will we,
Which by us shall blessèd be,
385
And the issue there create
Ever shall be fortunate.
So shall all the couples three
Ever true in loving be,
And the blots of Nature’s hand
390
Shall not in their issue stand.
Never mole, harelip, nor scar,
Nor mark prodigious, such as are
Despisèd in nativity,
Shall upon their children be.
395
With this field-dew consecrate
Every Fairy take his gait,
And each several chamber bless,
Through this palace, with sweet peace.
And the owner of it blest,
400
Ever shall in safety rest.
Trip away. Make no stay.
Meet me all by break of day.

⸢All but Robin⸣ exit.

ROBIN
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended:
405
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend.
410
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearnèd luck
Now to ’scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long.
415
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.

⸢He exits.⸣