A Midsummer Night’s Dream William Shakespeare An Electronic Classics Series Publication A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is a publication of The Electronic Classics Series. This Portable Document file is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Editor, nor anyone asso- ciated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, The Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Editor, PSU-Hazleton, Hazleton, PA 18202 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them. Jim Manis is a faculty member of the English Department of The Pennsylvania State University. This page and any preceding page(s) are restricted by copyright. The text of the following pages are not copyrighted within the United States; however, the fonts used may be. Cover Design: Jim Manis Copyright © 1999 - 2013 The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S STARVELING: a tailor. HIPPOLYTA: queen of the Amazons, betrothed to DREAM Theseus. William Shakespeare HERMIA: daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander. (written about 1593-1594) HELENA: in love with Demetrius. DRAMATIS PERSONAE OBERON: king of the fairies. THESEUS: Duke of Athens. TITANIA: queen of the fairies. EGEUS: father to Hermia. PUCK: or Robin Goodfellow. LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS: in love with Hermia. PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED: PHILOSTRATE: master of the revels to Theseus. fairies. QUINCE: a carpenter. Other fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta. SNUG: a joiner. SCENE: Athens, and a wood near it. BOTTOM: a weaver. FLUTE: a bellows-mender. SNOUT: a tinker. 3 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I, scene i Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals; DREAM The pale companion is not for our pomp. ACT I [Exit PHILOSTRATE.] Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword, SCENE I: Athens. The palace of THESEUS. And won thy love, doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, [Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants.] With pomp, with triumph and with revelling. THESEUS: Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour [Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS.] Draws on apace; four happy days bring in Another moon: but, O, methinks, how slow EGEUS: Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke! This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame or a dowager THESEUS: Thanks, good Egeus: what’s the news with Long withering out a young man revenue. thee? HIPPOLYTA: Four days will quickly steep themselves in EGEUS: Full of vexation come I, with complaint night; Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Four nights will quickly dream away the time; Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord, And then the moon, like to a silver bow This man hath my consent to marry her. New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night Stand forth, Lysander: and my gracious duke, Of our solemnities. This man hath bewitch’d the bosom of my child; Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, THESEUS: Go, Philostrate, And interchanged love-tokens with my child: 4 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I, scene i Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung, THESEUS: In himself he is; With feigning voice verses of feigning love, But in this kind, wanting your father’s voice, And stolen the impression of her fantasy The other must be held the worthier. With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats, messengers HERMIA: I would my father look’d but with my eyes. Of strong prevailment in unharden’d youth: With cunning hast thou filch’d my daughter’s heart, THESEUS: Rather your eyes must with his judgment Turn’d her obedience, which is due to me, look. To stubborn harshness: and, my gracious duke, Be it so she; will not here before your grace HERMIA: I do entreat your grace to pardon me. Consent to marry with Demetrius, I know not by what power I am made bold, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, Nor how it may concern my modesty, As she is mine, I may dispose of her: In such a presence here to plead my thoughts; Which shall be either to this gentleman But I beseech your grace that I may know Or to her death, according to our law The worst that may befall me in this case, Immediately provided in that case. If I refuse to wed Demetrius. THESEUS: What say you, Hermia? be advised fair maid: THESEUS: Either to die the death or to abjure To you your father should be as a god; For ever the society of men. One that composed your beauties, yea, and one Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires; To whom you are but as a form in wax Know of your youth, examine well your blood, By him imprinted and within his power Whether, if you yield not to your father’s choice, To leave the figure or disfigure it. You can endure the livery of a nun, Demetrius is a worthy gentleman. For aye to be in shady cloister mew’d, To live a barren sister all your life, HERMIA: So is Lysander. Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood, 5 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I, scene i To undergo such maiden pilgrimage; And what is mine my love shall render him. But earthlier happy is the rose distill’d, And she is mine, and all my right of her Than that which withering on the virgin thorn I do estate unto Demetrius. Grows, lives and dies in single blessedness. LYSANDER: I am, my lord, as well derived as he, HERMIA: So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord, As well possess’d; my love is more than his; Ere I will my virgin patent up My fortunes every way as fairly rank’d, Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke If not with vantage, as Demetrius’; My soul consents not to give sovereignty. And, which is more than all these boasts can be, I am beloved of beauteous Hermia: THESEUS: Take time to pause; and, by the nest new Why should not I then prosecute my right? moon— Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head, The sealing-day betwixt my love and me, Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena, For everlasting bond of fellowship— And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes, Upon that day either prepare to die Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, For disobedience to your father’s will, Upon this spotted and inconstant man. Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would; Or on Diana’s altar to protest THESEUS: I must confess that I have heard so much, For aye austerity and single life. And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof; But, being over-full of self-affairs, DEMETRIUS: Relent, sweet Hermia: and, Lysander, yield My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius, come; Thy crazed title to my certain right. And come, Egeus; you shall go with me, I have some private schooling for you both. LYSANDER: You have her father’s love, Demetrius; For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself Let me have Hermia’s: do you marry him. To fit your fancies to your father’s will; Or else the law of Athens yields you up— EGEUS: Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love, Which by no means we may extenuate— 6 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act I, scene i To death, or to a vow of single life. HERMIA: O spite! too old to be engaged to young. Come, my Hippolyta: what cheer, my love? Demetrius and Egeus, go along: LYSANDER: Or else it stood upon the choice of friends,— I must employ you in some business HERMIA: O hell! to choose love by another’s eyes. Against our nuptial and confer with you Of something nearly that concerns yourselves. LYSANDER: Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it, EGEUS: With duty and desire we follow you. Making it momentany as a sound, Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; [Exeunt all but LYSANDER and HERMIA.] Brief as the lightning in the collied night, That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, LYSANDER: How now, my love! why is your cheek so And ere a man hath power to say ‘Behold!’ pale? The jaws of darkness do devour it up: How chance the roses there do fade so fast? So quick bright things come to confusion. HERMIA: Belike for want of rain, which I could well HERMIA: If then true lovers have been ever cross’d, Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes. It stands as an edict in destiny: Then let us teach our trial patience, LYSANDER: Ay me! for aught that I could ever read, Because it is a customary cross, Could ever hear by tale or history, As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs, The course of true love never did run smooth; Wishes and tears, poor fancy’s followers.