A Midsummer Night’s Dream. William Shakespeare

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      Annotation

      The works of this great English writer seem to be timeless – his books contain vital questions which are still relevant today just as they were in the XVI cen. The secret of the eternal youth of his books is in the characters who have not changed a bit. Each of us might recognize his or her contemporaries in Shakespeare’s characters.

      Persons Represented

      THESEUS, Duke of Athens

      EGEUS, Father to Hermia

      LYSANDER, in love with Hermia

      EMETRIUS, in love with Hermia

      PHILOSTRATE, Master of the Revels to Theseus

      QUINCE, the Carpenter

      SNUG, the Joiner

      BOTTOM, the Weaver

      FLUTE, the Bellows-mender

      SNOUT, the Tinker

      STARVELING, the Tailor

      HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, bethrothed to Theseus

      HERMIA, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander

      HELENA, in love with DemetriusBERON, King of the Fairies

      TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies

      PUCK, or ROBIN GOODFELLOW, a Fairy

      PEASBLOSSOM, Fairy

      COBWEB, Fairy

      MOTH, Fairy

      MUSTARDSEED, Fairy

      PYRAMUS, THISBE, WALL, MOONSHINE, LION; Characters in the Interlude performed by the Clowns

      Other Fairies attending their King and Queen

      Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta

      SCENE: Athens, and a wood not far from it

      ACT I

      SCENE I. Athens. A room in the Palace of THESEUS

      [Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants.]

      THESEUS

      Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour

      Draws on apace; four happy days bring in

      Another moon; but, oh, methinks, how slow

      This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,

      Like to a step-dame or a dowager,

      Long withering out a young man's revenue.

      HIPPOLYTA

      Four days will quickly steep themselves in nights;

      Four nights will quickly dream away the time;

      And then the moon, like to a silver bow

      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;

      Turn melancholy forth to funerals—

      The pale companion is not for our pomp.—

      [Exit PHILOSTRATE.]

      Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword,

      And won thy love doing thee injuries;

      But I will wed thee in another key,

      With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling.

      [Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, 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.—

      Stand forth, Demetrius. – My noble lord,

      This man hath my consent to marry her —

      Stand forth, Lysander;—and, my gracious duke,

      This man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child.

      Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,

      And interchang'd 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, gawds, conceits,

      Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats, – messengers

      Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth;—

      With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart;

      Turned her obedience, which is due to me,

      To stubborn harshness. – And, my gracious duke,

      Be it so she will not here before your grace

      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

      Or to her death; according to our law

      Immediately provided in that case.

      THESEUS

      What say you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair maid:

      To you your father should be as a god;

      One that compos'd your beauties: yea, and one

      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:

      But, in this kind, wanting your father's voice,

      The other must be held the worthier.

      HERMIA

      I would my father look'd but with my eyes.

      THESEUS

      Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.

      HERMIA

      I do entreat your grace to pardon me.

      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

      If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

      THESEUS

      Either to die the death, or to abjure

      For ever the society of men.

      Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires,

      Know of your youth, examine well