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  • Title: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Folio 1, 1623)
  • Editor: Suzanne Westfall

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-465-3

    Copyright Suzanne Westfall. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Suzanne Westfall
    Not Peer Reviewed

    A Midsummer Night's Dream (Folio 1, 1623)

    A
    MIDSOMMER
    Nights Dreame.
    1Actus primus.
    Enter Theseus, Hippolita, with others.
    Theseus.
    NOw faire Hippolita, our nuptiall houre
    5Drawes on apace: foure happy daies bring in
    Another Moon: but oh, me thinkes, how slow
    This old Moon wanes; She lingers my desires
    Like to a Step-dame, or a Dowager,
    Long withering out a yong mans reuennew.
    10Hip. Foure daies wil quickly steep thẽselues in nights
    Foure nights wil quickly dreame away the time:
    And then the Moone, like to a siluer bow,
    Now bent in heauen, shal behold the night
    Of our solemnities.
    15The. Go Philostrate,
    Stirre vp the Athenian youth to merriments,
    Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth,
    Turne melancholy forth to Funerals:
    The pale companion is not for our pompe,
    20Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my sword,
    And wonne thy loue, doing thee iniuries:
    But I will wed thee in another key,
    With pompe, with triumph, and with reuelling.
    Enter Egeus and his daughter Hermia, Lysander,
    25and Demetrius.
    Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned Duke.
    The. Thanks good Egeus: what's the news with thee?
    Ege. Full of vexation, come I, with complaint
    Against my childe, my daughter Hermia.
    30Stand forth Demetrius.
    My Noble Lord,
    This man hath my consent to marrie her.
    Stand forth Lysander.
    And my gracious Duke,
    35This man hath bewitch'd the bosome of my childe:
    Thou, thou Lysander, thou hast giuen her rimes,
    And interchang'd loue-tokens with my childe:
    Thou hast by Moone-light at her window sung,
    With faining voice, verses of faining loue,
    40And stolne the impression of her fantasie,
    With bracelets of thy haire, rings, gawdes, conceits,
    Knackes, trifles, Nose-gaies, sweet meats (messengers
    Of strong preuailment in vnhardned youth)
    With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughters heart,
    45Turn'd her obedience (which is due to me)
    To stubborne harshnesse. And my gracious Duke,
    Be it so she will not heere before your Grace,
    Consent to marrie with Demetrius,
    I beg the ancient priuiledge of Athens;
    50As she is mine, I may dispose of her;
    Which shall be either to this Gentleman,
    Or to her death, according to our Law,
    Immediately prouided in that case.
    The. What say you Hermia? be aduis'd faire Maide,
    55To you your Father should be as a God;
    One that compos'd your beauties; yea and one
    To whom you are but as a forme in waxe
    By him imprinted: and within his power,
    To leaue the figure, or disfigure it:
    60Demetrius is a worthy Gentleman.
    Her. So is Lysander.
    The. In himselfe he is.
    But in this kinde, wanting your fathers voyce.
    The other must be held the worthier.
    65Her. I would my father look'd but with my eyes.
    The. Rather your eies must with his iudgment looke.
    Her. I do entreat your Grace to pardon me.
    I know not by what power I am made bold,
    Nor how it may concerne my modestie
    70In such a presence heere to pleade 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.
    The. Either to dye the death, or to abiure
    75For euer the society of men.
    Therefore faire Hermia question your desires,
    Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
    Whether (if you yeeld not to your fathers choice)
    You can endure the liuerie of a Nunne,
    80For aye to be in shady Cloister mew'd,
    To liue a barren sister all your life,
    Chanting faint hymnes to the cold fruitlesse Moone,
    Thrice blessed they that master so their blood,
    To vndergo such maiden pilgrimage,
    85But earthlier happie is the Rose distil'd,
    Then that which withering on the virgin thorne,
    Growes, liues, and dies, in single blessednesse.
    146A Midsommer nights Dreame.
    Her. So will I grow, so liue, so die my Lord,
    Ere I will yeeld my virgin Patent vp
    90Vnto his Lordship, whose vnwished yoake,
    My soule consents not to giue soueraignty.
    The. Take time to pause, and by the next new Moon
    The sealing day betwixt my loue and me,
    For euerlasting bond of fellowship:
    95Vpon that day either prepare to dye,
    For disobedience to your fathers will,
    Or else to wed Demetrius as hee would,
    Or on Dianaes Altar to protest
    For aie, austerity, and single life.
    100Dem. Relent sweet Hermia, and Lysander, yeelde
    Thy crazed title to my certaine right.
    Lys. You haue her fathers loue, Demetrius:
    Let me haue Hermiaes: do you marry him.
    Egeus. Scornfull Lysander, true, he hath my Loue;
    105And what is mine, my loue shall render him.
    And she is mine, and all my right of her,
    I do estate vnto Demetrius.
    Lys. I am my Lord, as well deriu'd as he,
    As well possest: my loue is more then his:
    110My fortunes euery way as fairely ranck'd
    (If not with vantage) as Demetrius:
    And (which is more then all these boasts can be)
    I am belou'd of beauteous Hermia.
    Why should not I then prosecute my right?
    115Demetrius, Ile auouch it to his head,
    Made loue to Nedars daughter, Helena,
    And won her soule: and she (sweet Ladie) dotes,
    Deuoutly dotes, dotes in Idolatry,
    Vpon this spotted and inconstant man.
    120The. I must confesse, that I haue heard so much,
    And with Demetrius thought to haue spoke thereof:
    But being ouer-full of selfe-affaires,
    My minde did lose it. But Demetrius come,
    And come Egeus, you shall go with me,
    125I haue some priuate schooling for you both.
    For you faire Hermia, looke you arme your selfe,
    To fit your fancies to your Fathers will;
    Or else the Law of Athens yeelds you vp
    (Which by no meanes we may extenuate)
    130To death, or to a vow of single life.
    Come my Hippolita, what cheare my loue?
    Demetrius and Egeus go along:
    I must imploy you in some businesse
    Against our nuptiall, and conferre with you
    135Of something, neerely that concernes your selues.
    Ege. With dutie and desire we follow you.Exeunt
    Manet Lysander and Hermia.
    Lys. How now my loue? Why is your cheek so pale?
    How chance the Roses there do fade so fast?
    140Her. Belike for want of raine, which I could well
    Beteeme them, from the tempest of mine eyes.
    Lys. For ought that euer I could reade,
    Could euer heare by tale or historie,
    The course of true loue neuer did run smooth,
    145But either it was different in blood.
    Her. O crosse! too high to be enthral'd to loue.
    Lys. Or else misgraffed, in respect of yeares.
    Her. O spight! too old to be ingag'd to yong.
    Lys. Or else it stood vpon the choise of merit.
    150Her. O hell! to choose loue by anothers eie.
    Lys. Or if there were a simpathie in choise,
    Warre, death, or sicknesse, did lay siege to it;
    Making it momentarie, as a sound:
    Swift as a shadow, short as any dreame,
    155Briefe as the lightning in the collied night,
    That (in a spleene) vnfolds both heauen and earth;
    And ere a man hath power to say, behold,
    The iawes of darkness do deuoure it vp:
    So quicke bright things come to confusion.
    160Her. If then true Louers haue beene euer crost,
    It stands as an edict in destinie:
    Then let vs teach our triall patience,
    Because it is a customarie crosse,
    As due to loue, as thoughts, and dreames, and sighes,
    165Wishes and teares; poore Fancies followers.
    Lys. A good perswasion; therefore heare me Hermia,
    I haue a Widdow Aunt, a dowager,
    Of great reuennew, and she hath no childe,
    From Athens is her house remou'd seuen leagues,
    170And she respects me, as her onely sonne:
    There gentle Hermia, may I marrie thee,
    And to that place, the sharpe Athenian Law
    Cannot pursue vs. If thou lou'st me, then
    Steale forth thy fathers house to morrow night:
    175And in the wood, a league without the towne,
    (Where I did meete thee once with Helena,
    To do obseruance for a morne of May)
    There will I stay for thee.
    Her. My good Lysander,
    180I sweare to thee, by Cupids strongest bow,
    By his best arrow with the golden head,
    By the simplicitie of Venus Doues,
    By that which knitteth soules, and prospers loue,
    And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage Queene,
    185When the false Troyan vnder saile was seene,
    By all the vowes that euer men haue broke,
    (In number more then euer women spoke)
    In that same place thou hast appointed me,
    To morrow truly will I meete with thee.
    190Lys. Keepe promise loue: looke here comes Helena.
    Enter Helena.
    Her. God speede faire Helena, whither away?
    Hel. Cal you me faire? that faire againe vnsay,
    Demetrius loues you faire: O happie faire!
    195Your eyes are loadstarres, and your tongues sweet ayre
    More tuneable then Larke to shepheards eare,
    When wheate is greene, when hauthorne buds appeare,
    Sicknesse is catching: O were fauor so,
    Your words I catch, faire Hermia ere I go,
    200My eare should catch your voice, my eye, your eye,
    My tongue should catch your tongues sweet melodie,
    Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
    The rest Ile giue to be to you translated.
    O teach me how you looke, and with what art
    205you sway the motion of Demetrius hart.
    Her. I frowne vpon him, yet he loues me still.
    Hel. O that your frownes would teach my smiles
    such skil.
    Her. I giue him curses, yet he giues me loue.
    210Hel. O that my prayers could such affection mooue.
    Her. The more I hate, the more he followes me.
    Hel. The more I loue, the more he hateth me.
    Her. His folly Helena is none of mine.
    Hel. None but your beauty, wold that fault wer mine
    215Her. Take comfort: he no more shall see my face,
    Lysander and my selfe will flie this place.
    Before the time I did Lysander see,
    Seem'd Athens like a Paradise to mee.
    O
    A Midsommer nights Dreame. 147
    O then, what graces in my Loue do dwell,
    220That he hath turn'd a heauen into hell.
    Lys. Helen, to you our mindes we will vnfold,
    To morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold
    Her siluer visage, in the watry glasse,
    Decking with liquid pearle, the bladed grasse
    225(A time that Louers flights doth still conceale)
    Through Athens gates, haue we deuis'd to steale.
    Her. And in the wood, where often you and I,
    Vpon faint Primrose beds, were wont to lye,
    Emptying our bosomes, of their counsell sweld:
    230There my Lysander, and my selfe shall meete,
    And thence from Athens turne away our eyes
    To seeke new friends and strange companions,
    Farwell sweet play-fellow, pray thou for vs,
    And good lucke grant thee thy Demetrius.
    235Keepe word Lysander we must starue our sight,
    From louers foode, till morrow deepe midnight.
    Exit Hermia.
    Lys. I will my Hermia. Helena adieu,
    As you on him, Demetrius dotes on you. Exit Lysander.
    240Hele. How happy some, ore othersome can be?
    Through Athens I am thought as faire as she.
    But what of that? Demetrius thinkes not so:
    He will not know, what all, but he doth know,
    And as hee erres, doting on Hermias eyes;
    245So I, admiring of his qualities:
    Things base and vilde, holding no quantity,
    Loue can transpose to forme and dignity,
    Loue lookes not with the eyes, but with the minde,
    And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blinde.
    250Nor hath loues minde of any iudgement taste:
    Wings and no eyes, figure, vnheedy haste.
    And therefore is Loue said to be a childe,
    Because in choise he is often beguil'd,
    As waggish boyes in game themselues forsweare;
    255So the boy Loue is periur'd euery where.
    For ere Demetrius lookt on Hermias eyne,
    He hail'd downe oathes that he was onely mine.
    And when this Haile some heat from Hermia felt,
    So he dissolu'd, and showres of oathes did melt,
    260I will goe tell him of faire Hermias flight:
    Then to the wood will he, to morrow night
    Pursue her; and for his intelligence,
    If I haue thankes, it is a deere expence:
    But heerein meane I to enrich my paine,
    265To haue his sight thither, and backe againe. Exit.
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