A Midsummer Nights Dream Lines

Act 2 Scene 1 Enter Puck How now Spirit, whither wander you?
Fairy: farewell thou lob of spirits I’ll be gone Our queen and all our elves come here anon The king doth keep his revels here tonight. Take heed the queen not come within his sight. For Oberon is passing fell and wrath because that she, as her attendant hath, a lovely boy stolen from an Indian king. She never had so sweet a changeling. And jealous Oberon would have the child knight of his train, to trace the forest wild. But she perforce withholds the lovèd boy, crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy. And now they never meet in grove or green, by fountain clear or spangled start light sheen. But they do square, that, all their elves for fear creep into acorn cups and hide them there.
Fairy: Are you not he? Thou speak’st aright. I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon and make him smile when I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile, neighing in likeness of a filly foal. And sometime lurk I in a gossip’s bowl in very likeness of a roasted crab, and when she drinks, against her lip I bob and on her withered dewlap pour the ale. The wisest aunt telling the saddest tale sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me. Then slip I from her bum, down topples she, and “Talior!” cries, and falls into a cough, and then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh, and waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear a merrier hour was never wasted there. But, room, fairy! Here comes Oberon.
Oberon: My gentle Puck come hither…to hear seamaid’s music? I remember
Oberon: Fetch me this herb, and be thou here again ere the leviathan can swim a league. I’ll put the girdle round about the Earth in fourth minutes.
Oberon: Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer. Ay, there it is
Oberon: Thou meet me ere the first cock crow Fear not, my lord. Your servant shall do so
Hermia and Lysander sleep Enter Robin Through the forest I have gone. But Athenian found I none on whose eyes I might approve this flower’s force in stirring love. (Sees Lysander and Hermia) Night and Slience! Who is here? Weeds of Athens he doth wear. This is he my master said dispisèd 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. (Squeeze flower juice on Lysander’s eyelids) Churl, upon thy eyes I throw all the power this charm depth owe. When thou wakest, let love forbid sleep his seat on thy eyelid. So awake when I am gone, for I must now to Oberon
Enter Robin unseen Act 3 scene 1 What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here, so near the cradle of the fairy queen? What, a play toward? I’ll be an auditor. An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause
Bottom: But hark, a voice! Stay thou but here awhile, and by and by I will to thee appear. Exit Bottom A stranger Pyramus than e’er played here
Quince: Oh monstrous! Oh, strange! We are haunted. Pray, masters! Fly, masters! Help! (Exit) I’ll follow you. I’ll lead you about a round through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier. Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound, a hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire. And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, like a horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn
Oberon: Here comes my messenger. – how now, mad spirit? What night-rule now about this haunted grove? My mistress with a monster is in love. Near to her close and consecrated bower, while she was in her dull and sleeping hour, a crew of patches, rude mechanicals that work for bread upon Athenian stalls, were met together to rehearse a play intended for great Theseus’ nuptial day. The shallowest thick-skin of that barren sort, who Pyramus presented in their sport, forsook his scene and entered in a brake, when I did him at this advantage take, as ass’s nole I fixed on his head. Anon his Thisbe must be answerèd, and forth my mimic comes. When they him spy, as wild geese that the creeping fowler eye, or russet-payed coughs, many in sort, rising and cawing at the gun’s report, sever themselves and madly sweep the sky- so at his sight away his fellows fly; and, at our stamp, here o’er and o’er one falls. He “Murder!” Cries and help from Athens calls. Their sense thus weak, lost with their fears thus strong, made senseless things begin to do them wrong. For briers and thorns at their apparel snatch, some sleeves, some hats- from yielders all things catch. I led them on in this distracted fear and left sweet Pyramus translated there. When in that moment so it came to pass, Titania waked and straightway loved an ass.
Oberon: This falls out better than I could devise. But hast thou latched the Athenian’s eyes with the love juice, as I did bid thee do? I took him sleeping- that is finished too- and the Athenian woman by his side, that, when he waked, of force she must be eyed.
Oberon: Stand close. This is the same Athenian This is the woman, but not this the man
Oberon: What hast thou done? Thou hast mistaken quite, and laid the love juice on some true love’s sight. Of thy misprision must perforce ensue some true love turned, and not false turned true. Then fate o’errules that, one man holding troth, a million fail, confounding oath an oath
Oberon: By some illusion see thou bring her here. I’ll charm his eyes against she do appear. I go, I go. Look how I go, swifter than arrow from the Tartar’s bow.
Oberon: Flower of this purple dye, hit with Cupid’s archery, sink in apple of his eye. When his love he doth espy, let her shine as gloriously as the Venus of the sky. When thou wakest, if she be by, beg of her for remedy. Captain of our fairy band, Helena is here at hand, and the youth, mistook by me, pleading for a lover’s fee. Shall we fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be!
Oberon: Stand aside. The noise they make will cause Demetrius to awake Then will two at once woo one. That must needs be sport alone. And those things do best please me that befall preposterously.
Oberon: This is thy negligence. Still thou mistakest, or else committ’st thy knaveries willfully. Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook. Did not you tell me I should know the man by the Athenian garment he had on? And so far blameless proves my enterprise, that I have anointed an Athenian’s eyes. And so far am I glad it so did sort, as this their jangling I esteem a sport.
Oberon: Then crush this her. Into Lysander’s eye… Whiles I in this affair do thee employ, I’ll to my queen and beg her Indian boy. And then I will her charmèd eye release from monster’s view, and all things shall be peace. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste. For night’s swift dragons cut the clouds full fast, and yonder shines Aurora’s harbinger, at whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there, troop home to churchyards. Damnèd spirits all, that in crossways and floods have burial, already to their wormy beds are gone. For fear lest day should look their shames upon, they willfully themselves exile from light and must for aye consort with black-browed night
Oberon: Make no delay we may effect this business yet ere day. Exit Oberon Up and down, up and down, I will lead them up and down. I am feared in field and town. Goblin, lead them up and down. Here comes one.
Lysander: Where art thou, proud Demetrius? Speak thou now. (As Demetrius) here, villain. Drawn and ready. Where art thou?
Lysander: I will be with thee straight. (As Demetrius) follow me then to plainer ground
Demetrius: Lysander, speak again! Thou runaway, thou coward, art thou fled? Speak! In some bush? Where dost thou head? (As Lysander) Thou coward, art thou bragging to the starts, telling the bushes that thou look’st for wars, and wilt not come? Come, recreant. Come, thou child! I’ll whip thee with a rod. He is defiled that draws a sword on thee
Demetrius: Yea, art thou there? (As Lysander) follow my voice. We’ll try no manhood here.
Demetrius: Enter Robin and Demetrius (As Lysander) Ho, ho, ho! Coward, why comest thou not?
Demetrius: Abide me, if thou darest! For well I wot thou runn’st before me, shifting every place, and darest not stand nor look me in the face. Where art thou now? (As Lysander) come hither. I am here.
Helena lies down and sleeps Yet but three? Come one more. Two of both kinds make up four. Here she comes, cursed and sad. Cupid is a knavish lad thus to make poor females mad
Hermia (lies down and sleeps) On the ground sleep sound. I’ll apply to your eye. Gentle lover, remedy. (Squeeze flower into Lysander’s eyes) when thou wakest, thou takes to true delight in the sight of thy former lady’s eye. And the country proverb known- that every man should take his own- in your waking shall be shown. Jack shall have Jill. Nought shall go ill. The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well.
(Taking ass’s head off Bottom) Now when thou wakest, with thine own fool’s eyes peep
Oberon: sound music! There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be wedded, with Theseus, all in jollity Fairy King, attend, and mark. I do hear the morning lark
Theseus: a fortnight hold we this solemnity, in nightly revels and new jollity Now the hungry lion roars and the wolf be howls the moon, whilst the heavy ploughman snores, all with weary task fordone. Now the wasted brands do glow, whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud, puts the wretch that lies in woe in remembrance of a shroud. Now it is the time of night that the graves all gaping wide, every one lets forth his sprite, in the churchway paths to glide. And we fairies, that do run by the triple Hecate’s team from the presence of the sun, following darkness, like a dream, now are frolic. Not a mouse shall disturb this hallowed house. I am sent with broom before to sweep the dust behind the door.
End Monologue as Emily If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended- that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream, gentles, do not reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend. And, as I am an honest Puck, if we have unearnéd luck now ‘scape the serpent’s tongue, we will make amends ere long. Else the Puck a liar call. So good night, unto you all. Give me your hands if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends.