Toolbox



Textual Analysis

[ Go ]

Shakespeare on Stage
American Shakespeare Center, The Duchess of Malfi. To Jun. 15, 2013.
Folger Shakespeare Library, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 9, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Return to the Forbidden Planet. To Dec. 1, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Love's Labour's Lost. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 16, 2013.
More Performances…
‌

A Midsummer Night's Dream (Quarto 1, 1600)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Suzanne Westfall
Not Peer Reviewed
A Midsommer nightes dreame.
Egeus, I will ouerbeare your will:
1705For in the Temple, by and by, with vs,
These couples shall eternally be knit.
And, for the morning now is somthing worne,
Our purpos'd hunting shall be set aside.
Away, with vs, to Athens. Three and three,
1710Weele holde a feast, in great solemnitie. Come Hyppolita.
Deme. These things seeme small and vndistinguishable,
Like farre off mountaines turned into clouds.
Her. Me thinks I see these things, with parted eye,
1715When euery thing seemes double.
Hel. So mee thinkes:
And I haue found Demetrius, like a iewell,
Mine owne, and not mine owne.
Dem. Are you sure
That we are awake? It seemes to me,
1720That yet we sleepe, we dreame. Do not you thinke,
The Duke was here, and bid vs follow him?
Her. Yea, and my father.
Hel. And Hyppolita.
Lys. And he did bid vs follow to the Temple.
1725Dem. Why then, we are awake: lets follow him, and by
the way lets recount our dreames.
Clo. When my cue comes, call mee, and I will answere.
My next is, most faire Pyramus. Hey ho. Peeter Quince?
1730Flute, the bellowes mender? Snout the tinker? Starueling?
Gods my life! Stolne hence, and left mee a sleepe? I haue
had a most rare vision. I haue had a dreame, past the wit
of man, to say; what dreame it was. Man is but an Asse, if
hee goe about expound this dreame. Me thought I was,
1735there is no man can tell what. Me thought I was, and me
thought I had. But man is but patcht a foole, If hee will
offer to say, what mee thought I had. The eye of man
hath not heard, the eare of man hath not seene, mans
hand