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Shakespeare on Stage
SIP Editors, King Henry VIII. To Aug. 4, 2013.
Original Shakespeare Company, A Midsommer Night's Dreame (Midsummer Midsommer). To Jun. 21, 2013.
Original Shakespeare Company, As You Like It. To Jun. 23, 2013.
SIP Editors, Measure for Measure. To Aug. 4, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Return to the Forbidden Planet. To Dec. 1, 2013.
More Performances…
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A Midsummer Night's Dream (Quarto 1, 1600)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Suzanne Westfall
Not Peer Reviewed
A Midsommer nightes dreame.
you, to con them by to morrow night: and meete me in
the palace wood, a mile without the towne, by Moone-
light; there will wee rehearse: for if wee meete in the city,
wee shal be dogd with company, and our deuises known.
365In the meane time, I will draw a bill of properties, such as
our play wants. I pray you faile me not.
Bot. Wee will meete, & there we may rehearse most ob-
scenely and coragiously. Take paines, bee perfit: adieu.
370Quin. At the Dukes oke wee meete.
Bot. Enough: holde, or cut bowstrings.
Exeunt.
Enter a Fairie at one doore, and Robin goodfellow
at another.
375Robin. How now spirit, whither wander you?
Fa. Ouer hill, ouer dale, thorough bush, thorough brier,
Ouer parke, ouer pale, thorough flood, thorough fire:
I do wander euery where; swifter than the Moons sphere:
And I serue the Fairy Queene, to dew her orbs vpon the
380The cowslippes tall her Pensioners bee,
In their gold coats, spottes you see:
Those be Rubies, Fairie fauours:
In those freckles, liue their sauours.
I must goe seeke some dew droppes here,
385And hang a pearle in euery couslippes eare.
Farewell thou Lobbe of spirits: Ile be gon.
Our Queene, and all her Elues come here anon.
Rob. The king doth keepe his Reuels here to night.
Take heede the Queene come not within his sight.
390For Oberon is passing fell and wrath:
Because that she, as her attendant, hath
A louely boy stollen, from an Indian king:
She neuer had so sweete a changeling.
And iealous Oberon would haue the childe,
395Knight of his traine, to trace the forrests wilde.
But shee, perforce, withhoulds the loued boy,
Crownes him with flowers, and makes him all her ioy.
B3
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