A Midsummer Night's Dream Read online

  Nor spell nor charm,

  Come our lovely lady nigh18;

  So, good night, with lullaby.

  SECOND FAIRY Weaving spiders, come not here.

  Hence, you long-legged spinners, hence!

  Beetles black, approach not near;

  Worm nor snail, do no offence.

  CHORUS Philomel, with melody, etc24.

  FIRST FAIRY Hence, away! Now all is well;

  One aloof stand sentinel26.

  She [Titania] sleeps. [Exeunt Fairies]

  Enter Oberon

  OBERON What thou see'st when thou dost wake,

  Squeezes juice on Titania's eyes

  Do it for thy true-love take,

  Love and languish for his sake.

  Be it ounce30 or cat or bear,

  Pard31, or boar with bristled hair,

  In thy eye that shall appear

  When thou wak'st, it is thy dear.

  Wake when some vile thing is near.

  [Exit]

  Enter Lysander and Hermia

  LYSANDER Fair love, you faint with wand'ring in the wood,

  And to speak troth36, I have forgot our way:

  We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good,

  And tarry for the comfort of the day38.

  HERMIA Be it so, Lysander; find you out a bed,

  For I upon this bank will rest my head.

  LYSANDER One turf shall serve as pillow for us both:

  One heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth42.

  HERMIA Nay, good Lysander, for my sake, my dear,

  Lie further off yet, do not lie so near.

  LYSANDER O, take the sense45, sweet, of my innocence!

  Love takes the meaning in love's conference46.

  I mean that my heart unto yours is knit

  So that but one heart we can make of it.

  Two bosoms interchained with an oath,

  So then two bosoms and a single troth.

  Then by your side no bed-room me deny,

  For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie52.

  HERMIA Lysander riddles very prettily53.

  Now much beshrew54 my manners and my pride,

  If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied.

  But, gentle friend56, for love and courtesy

  Lie further off, in human57 modesty:

  Such separation as may well be said

  Becomes59 a virtuous bachelor and a maid,

  So far be distant, and good night, sweet friend;

  Thy love ne'er alter till thy sweet life end!

  LYSANDER Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I,

  And then end life when I end loyalty!

  Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest!

  HERMIA With half that wish the wisher's eyes be pressed65!

  They sleep

  Enter [Robin] Puck

  ROBIN Through the forest have I gone,

  But Athenian found I none

  On whose eyes I might approve68

  This flower's force in stirring love.

  Night and silence -- who is here?

  Sees Lysander

  Weeds of Athens he doth wear:

  This is he, my master said,

  Despised the Athenian maid:

  And here the maiden, sleeping sound,

  On the dank and dirty ground.

  Pretty soul, she durst not lie

  Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.

  Churl78, upon thy eyes I throw

  Puts juice on Lysander's eyes

  All the power this charm doth owe79.

  When thou wak'st, let love forbid80

  Sleep his seat on thy eyelid.

  So awake when I am gone,

  For I must now to Oberon.

  Exit

  Enter Demetrius and Helena, running

  HELENA Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.

  DEMETRIUS I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt85 me thus.

  HELENA O, wilt thou darkling86 leave me? Do not so.

  DEMETRIUS Stay, on thy peril: I alone will go.

  Exit

  HELENA O, I am out of breath in this fond88 chase!

  The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace89.

  Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies90;

  For she hath blessed and attractive eyes.

  How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears:

  If so, my eyes are oftener washed than hers.

  No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;

  For beasts that meet me run away for fear:

  Therefore no marvel96 though Demetrius

  Do, as97 a monster, fly my presence thus.

  What wicked and dissembling glass98 of mine

  Made me compare with Hermia's sphery eyne99?

  But who is here? Lysander, on the ground;

  Sees Lysander

  Dead, or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.

  Lysander if you live, good sir, awake.

  LYSANDER And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.

  Wakes

  Transparent Helena, nature shows her art104

  That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.

  Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word

  Is that vile name to perish on my sword!

  HELENA Do not say so, Lysander, say not so.

  What though109 he love your Hermia? Lord, what though?

  Yet Hermia still loves you; then be content.

  LYSANDER Content with Hermia? No, I do repent

  The tedious minutes I with her have spent.

  Not Hermia but Helena now I love;

  Who will not change a raven for a dove?

  The will115 of man is by his reason swayed,

  And reason says you are the worthier maid.

  Things growing are not ripe until their season;

  So I, being young, till now ripe not118 to reason.

  And touching now the point of human skill119,

  Reason becomes the marshal120 to my will

  And leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlook121

  Love's stories122 written in love's richest book.

  HELENA Wherefore123 was I to this keen mockery born?

  When at your hands did I deserve this scorn?

  Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man,

  That I did never, no, nor never can,

  Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,

  But you must flout my insufficiency?

  Good troth you do me wrong, good sooth129, you do,

  In such disdainful manner me to woo.

  But fare you well; perforce I must confess

  I thought you lord of more true gentleness132.

  O, that a lady of one man refused

  Should of another therefore be abused134!

  Exit

  LYSANDER She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there,

  And never mayst thou come Lysander near;

  For as a surfeit137 of the sweetest things

  The deepest loathing to the stomach brings,

  Or as the heresies that men do leave139

  Are hated most of those they did deceive140,

  So thou, my surfeit and my heresy,

  Of142 all be hated, but the most of me.

  And all my powers address143 your love and might

  To honour Helen and to be her knight!

  Exit

  HERMIA Help me, Lysander, help me; do thy best

  Wakes

  To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!

  Ay me, for pity; what a dream was here?

  Lysander, look how I do quake with fear:

  Methought a serpent ate my heart away,

  And you sat smiling at his cruel prey150.

  Lysander! What, removed151? Lysander! Lord!

  What, out of hearing? Gone? No sound, no word?

  Alack, where are you? Speak, an if153 you hear:

  Speak, of all loves154! I swoon almost with fear.

  No? Then I well perceive you are not nigh.

&n
bsp; Either death or you I'll find immediately.

  Titania remains asleep

  Exit

  Act 3 [Scene 1]

  running scene 4 continues

  Enter the Clowns [Bottom, Quince, Snug, Flute, Snout and Starveling]

  BOTTOM Are we all met?

  QUINCE Pat2, pat, and here's a marvellous convenient place for our rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this

  hawthorn brake our tiring-house4, and we will do it in action as we will do it before the duke.

  BOTTOM Peter Quince?

  QUINCE What sayest thou, bully7 Bottom?

  BOTTOM There are things in this comedy of Pyramus 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 parlous12 fear.

  STARVELING I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done14.

  BOTTOM Not a whit: I have a device to make all well. Write15

  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 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 six22.

  BOTTOM No, make it two more: let it be written in eight and eight.

  SNOUT Will not the ladies be afeard25 of the lion?

  STARVELING I fear it26, I promise you.

  BOTTOM Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves, to bring in -- God shield us! -- a lion among ladies is a most

  dreadful thing. For there is not a more fearful wild-fowl29 than your lion living. And we ought to look to it.

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

  BOTTOM Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck, and he himself must

  speak through, saying thus, or to the same defect35: '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 for37

  yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my38

  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

  plainly41 he is Snug the joiner.

  QUINCE Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard 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 almanac46. Find

  out moonshine, find out moonshine.

  They consult an almanac

  [Robin may] enter

  QUINCE Yes, it doth shine that night.

  BOTTOM Why, then may you leave a casement49 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 thorns52

  and a lantern, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present53, 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 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 rough-cast60 about him, to signify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus; and

  through that cranny shall

  Hand gesture suggesting a hole in a wall

  Pyramus and Thisbe whisper.

  QUINCE If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse65 your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that

  brake, and so every one according to his cue.

  Robin [may] enter

  ROBIN What hempen home-spuns have we swagg'ring68 here, Aside

  So near the cradle69 of the fairy queen?

  What, a play toward70? I'll be an auditor, An actor too perhaps, if I see cause.

  QUINCE Speak, Pyramus.-- Thisbe, stand forth.

  PYRAMUS [BOTTOM] Thisbe, the flowers of odious savours sweet--

  QUINCE Odours, odours.

  PYRAMUS [BOTTOM] --odours savours sweet,

  So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisbe dear.

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

  And by and by78 I will to thee appear.

  Exit

  ROBIN A stranger Pyramus than e'er played here.

  [Exit]

  THISBE [FLUTE] Must I speak now?

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

  THISBE [FLUTE] Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue, Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier,

  Most brisky juvenal and eke most lovely Jew85, As true as truest horse that yet would never tire,

  I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb.

  QUINCE 'Ninus88' tomb', man! Why, you must not speak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus. You speak all your part89 at once, cues and all. Pyramus, enter: your cue is past; it is,

  'never tire'.

  THISBE [FLUTE] O --

  As true as truest horse that yet would never tire.

  Enter [Robin and] Pyramus [Bottom] with the ass head

  PYRAMUS [BOTTOM] If I were fair93, Thisbe, I were only thine.

  QUINCE O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted. Pray,

  masters! Fly, masters! Help!

  The Clowns all exit

  ROBIN I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round96, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier.

  Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound,

  A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire99, And neigh and bark and grunt and roar and burn,

  Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

  Exit

  If Bottom exited with the other clowns, he re-enters here

  BOTTOM Why do they run away? This is a knavery102

  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 asshead of your own, do you?

  [Exit Snout]

  Enter Quince

  QUINCE Bless thee, Bottom! Bless thee! Thou art

  translated109.

  Exit

  BOTTOM I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of 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.

  The ousel cock114 so black of hue,

  Sings

  With orange-tawny bill,

  The throstle116 with his note so true, The wren with little quill117--

  TITANIA What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed?

  Wakes

  BOTTOM The finch, the sparrow and the lark,

  Sings

  The plain-song120 cuckoo grey, Whose note full many a man doth mark,

  And dares not answer nay122 --

  For, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird123? Who would give a bird the lie, though he cry 'cuckoo124' never so?

  TITANIA I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:

  Mine ear is much enamoured of thy note;

  So is mine eye enthralled127 to thy shape: And thy fair virtue's force perforce128 doth move me 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
<
br />   honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can

  gleek134 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 turn137.

  TITANIA Out of this wood do not desire to go:

  Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt139 or no.

  I am a spirit of no common rate140.

  The summer still doth tend upon my state141, And I do love thee: therefore, go with me.

  I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee,

  And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep144, And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep.

  And I will purge thy mortal grossness146 so That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.

  Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth148, Mustardseed!

  Enter four Fairies

  PEASEBLOSSOM Ready.

  COBWEB And I.

  MOTH And I.

  MUSTARDSEED And I.

  ALL Where shall we go?

  TITANIA Be kind and courteous to this gentleman.

  Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes155, Feed him with apricocks and dewberries156, With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries.

  The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees158, And for night-tapers159 crop their waxen thighs And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,

  To have my love to bed and to arise161.

  And pluck the wings from painted butterflies

  To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes.

  Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.

  PEASEBLOSSOM Hail, mortal!

  COBWEB Hail!

  MOTH Hail!

  MUSTARDSEED Hail!

  BOTTOM I cry your worship's mercy169, heartily;

  To Cobweb

  I beseech your worship's name.

  COBWEB Cobweb.

  BOTTOM I shall desire you of more acquaintance172, good Master Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with173

  you.-- Your name, honest gentleman?

  PEASEBLOSSOM Peaseblossom.

  BOTTOM I pray you commend me to Mistress Squash176, your mother, and to Master Peascod177, your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance

  too.-- Your name, I beseech you, sir?

  MUSTARDSEED Mustardseed.

  BOTTOM Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience181

  well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath devoured

  many a gentleman of your house. I promise you, your

  kindred hath made my eyes water184 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 weeps188, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforced189 chastity.

  Tie up my lover's tongue190, bring him silently.