William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (197 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms.
Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away.
So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle
Gently entwist; the female ivy so
Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.
O how I love thee, how I dote on thee!
Fairies, be gone, and be all ways away.
Exeunt Fairies
Gently entwist; the female ivy so
Enrings the barky fingers of the elm.
O how I love thee, how I dote on thee!
They sleep.Enter Robin Goodfellow
⌈
and Oberon
,
meeting
⌉
OBERON
Welcome, good Robin. Seest thou this sweet sight?
Her dotage now I do begin to pity,
For meeting her of late behind the wood,
Seeking sweet favours for this hateful fool,
I did upbraid her and fall out with her,
For she his hairy temples then had rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers,
And that same dew which sometime on the buds
Was wont to swell like round and orient pearls
Stood now within the pretty flow’rets’ eyes,
Like tears that did their own disgrace bewail.
When I had at my pleasure taunted her,
And she in mild terms begged my patience,
I then did ask of her her changeling child,
Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent
To bear him to my bower in fairyland.
And now I have the boy, I will undo
This hateful imperfection of her eyes.
And, gentle puck, take this transformed scalp
From off the head of this Athenian swain,
That he, awaking when the other do,
May all to Athens back again repair,
And think no more of this night’s accidents
But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
But first I will release the Fairy Queen.
Now, my Titania, wake you, my sweet queen.
Her dotage now I do begin to pity,
For meeting her of late behind the wood,
Seeking sweet favours for this hateful fool,
I did upbraid her and fall out with her,
For she his hairy temples then had rounded
With coronet of fresh and fragrant flowers,
And that same dew which sometime on the buds
Was wont to swell like round and orient pearls
Stood now within the pretty flow’rets’ eyes,
Like tears that did their own disgrace bewail.
When I had at my pleasure taunted her,
And she in mild terms begged my patience,
I then did ask of her her changeling child,
Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent
To bear him to my bower in fairyland.
And now I have the boy, I will undo
This hateful imperfection of her eyes.
And, gentle puck, take this transformed scalp
From off the head of this Athenian swain,
That he, awaking when the other do,
May all to Athens back again repair,
And think no more of this night’s accidents
But as the fierce vexation of a dream.
But first I will release the Fairy Queen.
He drops the juice on Titania’s eyelids
Be as thou wast wont to be,
See as thou wast wont to see.
Dian’s bud o’er Cupid’s flower
Hath such force and blessed power.
TITANIA (
awaking
)
awaking
)
My Oberon, what visions have I seen!
Methought I was enamoured of an ass.
Methought I was enamoured of an ass.
OBERON
There lies your love.
TITANIA How came these things to pass?
O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!
OBERON Silence a while.—Robin, take off this head.—Titania, music call, and strike more dead Than common sleep of all these five the sense.
TITANIA
Music, ho—music such as charmeth sleep.
⌈
Still musica
⌉
ROBIN (
taking the ass-head off Bottom
)
taking the ass-head off Bottom
)
Now when thou wak’st with thine own fool’s eyes peep.
OBERON
Sound music.
Come, my queen, take hands with me,
And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
Oberon
and
Titania dance
Now thou and I are new in amity,
And will tomorrow midnight solemnly
Dance in Duke Theseus’ house, triumphantly,
And bless it to all fair prosperity.
There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
Wedded with Theseus, all in jollity.
⌈
The music
changes
⌉
And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be.
Oberon
and
Titania dance
Now thou and I are new in amity,
And will tomorrow midnight solemnly
Dance in Duke Theseus’ house, triumphantly,
And bless it to all fair prosperity.
There shall the pairs of faithful lovers be
Wedded with Theseus, all in jollity.
ROBIN
Fairy King, attend and mark.
I do hear the morning lark.
OBERON
Then, my queen, in silence sad
Trip we after nightës shade.
We the globe can compass soon,
Swifter than the wand’ring moon.
TITANIA
Come, my lord, and in our flight
Tell me how it came this night
That I sleeping here was found
With these mortals on the ground.
Exeunt Oberon,
Titania,
and Robin. The sleepers lie still
Wind horns within. Enter Theseus with Egeus
,
Hippolyta, and all his train
THESEUS
Go, one of you, find out the forester,
For now our observation is performed;
And since we have the vanguard of the day,
My love shall hear the music of my hounds.
Uncouple in the western valley; let them go.
Dispatch, I say, and find the forester.
Exit one
We will, fair Queen, up to the mountain’s top,
And mark the musical confusion
Of hounds and echo in conjunction.
For now our observation is performed;
And since we have the vanguard of the day,
My love shall hear the music of my hounds.
Uncouple in the western valley; let them go.
Dispatch, I say, and find the forester.
Exit one
We will, fair Queen, up to the mountain’s top,
And mark the musical confusion
Of hounds and echo in conjunction.
HIPPOLYTA
I was with Hercules and Cadmus once
When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear
With hounds of Sparta. Never did I hear
Such gallant chiding; for besides the groves,
The skies, the fountains, every region near
Seemed all one mutual cry. I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.
When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear
With hounds of Sparta. Never did I hear
Such gallant chiding; for besides the groves,
The skies, the fountains, every region near
Seemed all one mutual cry. I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.
THESEUS
My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,
So flewed, so sanded; and their heads are hung
With ears that sweep away the morning dew,
Crook-kneed, and dewlapped like Thessalian bulls,
Slow in pursuit, but matched in mouth like bells,
Each under each. A cry more tuneable
Was never holla’d to nor cheered with horn
In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly.
Judge when you hear. But soft: what nymphs are
these?
So flewed, so sanded; and their heads are hung
With ears that sweep away the morning dew,
Crook-kneed, and dewlapped like Thessalian bulls,
Slow in pursuit, but matched in mouth like bells,
Each under each. A cry more tuneable
Was never holla’d to nor cheered with horn
In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly.
Judge when you hear. But soft: what nymphs are
these?
EGEUS
My lord, this is my daughter here asleep,
And this Lysander; this Demetrius is;
This Helena, old Nedar’s Helena.
I wonder of their being here together.
And this Lysander; this Demetrius is;
This Helena, old Nedar’s Helena.
I wonder of their being here together.
THESEUS
No doubt they rose up early to observe
The rite of May, and, hearing our intent,
Came here in grace of our solemnity.
But speak, Egeus : is not this the day
That Hermia should give answer of her choice?
The rite of May, and, hearing our intent,
Came here in grace of our solemnity.
But speak, Egeus : is not this the day
That Hermia should give answer of her choice?
EGEUS It is, my lord.
THESEUS
Go bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns.
Good morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past.
Begin these wood-birds but to couple now?
⌈
Exit one
⌉Shout within: wind horns. The lovers all start up
Begin these wood-birds but to couple now?
LYSANDER
Pardon, my lord.
The lovers kneel
THESEUS I pray you all stand up.
The lovers stand
(To Demetrius and Lysander) I know you two are rival
enemies.
How comes this gentle concord in the world,
That hatred is so far from jealousy
To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity?
enemies.
How comes this gentle concord in the world,
That hatred is so far from jealousy
To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity?
LYSANDER
My lord, I shall reply amazèdly,
Half sleep, half waking. But as yet, I swear,
I cannot truly say how I came here,
But as I think—for truly would I speak,
And, now I do bethink me, so it is—
I came with Hermia hither. Our intent
Was to be gone from Athens where we might,
Without the peril of the Athenian law—
Half sleep, half waking. But as yet, I swear,
I cannot truly say how I came here,
But as I think—for truly would I speak,
And, now I do bethink me, so it is—
I came with Hermia hither. Our intent
Was to be gone from Athens where we might,
Without the peril of the Athenian law—
EGEUS (
to
Theseus
)
to
Theseus
)
Enough, enough, my lord, you have enough.
I beg the law, the law upon his head.—
They would have stol’n away, they would, Demetrius,
Thereby to have defeated you and me—
You of your wife, and me of my consent,
Of my consent that she should be your wife.
I beg the law, the law upon his head.—
They would have stol’n away, they would, Demetrius,
Thereby to have defeated you and me—
You of your wife, and me of my consent,
Of my consent that she should be your wife.
DEMETRIUS (
to Theseus
)
to Theseus
)
My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth,
Of this their purpose hither to this wood,
And I in fury hither followed them,
Fair Helena in fancy following me.
But, my good lord, I wot not by what power—
But by some power it is—my love to Hermia,
Melted as the snow, seems to me now
As the remembrance of an idle gaud
Which in my childhood I did’dote upon,
And all the faith, the virtue of my heart,
The object and the pleasure of mine eye
Is only Helena. To her, my lord,
Was I betrothed ere I see Hermia.
But like in sickness did I loathe this food;
But, as in health come to my natural taste,
Now I do wish it, love it, long for it,
And will for evermore be true to it.
Of this their purpose hither to this wood,
And I in fury hither followed them,
Fair Helena in fancy following me.
But, my good lord, I wot not by what power—
But by some power it is—my love to Hermia,
Melted as the snow, seems to me now
As the remembrance of an idle gaud
Which in my childhood I did’dote upon,
And all the faith, the virtue of my heart,
The object and the pleasure of mine eye
Is only Helena. To her, my lord,
Was I betrothed ere I see Hermia.
But like in sickness did I loathe this food;
But, as in health come to my natural taste,
Now I do wish it, love it, long for it,
And will for evermore be true to it.
THESEUS
Fair lovers, you are fortunately met.
Of this discourse we more will hear anon.—
Egeus, I will overbear your will,
For in the temple by and by with us
These couples shall eternally be knit.—
And, for the morning now is something worn,
Our purposed hunting shall be set aside.
Away with us to Athens. Three and three,
We’ll hold a feast in great solemnity.
Come, Hippolyta.
Of this discourse we more will hear anon.—
Egeus, I will overbear your will,
For in the temple by and by with us
These couples shall eternally be knit.—
And, for the morning now is something worn,
Our purposed hunting shall be set aside.
Away with us to Athens. Three and three,
We’ll hold a feast in great solemnity.
Come, Hippolyta.
Exit Duke Theseus with Hippolyta, Egeus, and all his train
DEMETRIUS
These things seem small and undistinguishable,
Like far-off mountains turned into clouds.
Like far-off mountains turned into clouds.
HERMIA
Methinks I see these things with parted eye,
When everything seems double.
When everything seems double.
HELENA So methinks,
And I have found Demetrius like a jewel,
Mine own and not mine own.
Mine own and not mine own.
DEMETRIUS It seems to me
That yet we sleep, we dream. Do not you think
The Duke was here and bid us follow him?
The Duke was here and bid us follow him?
HERMIA
Yea, and my father.
HELENA And Hippolyta.
LYSANDER
And he did bid us follow to the temple.
DEMETRIUS
Why then, we are awake. Let’s follow him,
And by the way let us recount our dreams.
And by the way let us recount our dreams.
Exeunt the loversBottom wakes
BOTTOM When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is ‘most fair Pyramus’. Heigh-ho. Peter Quince? Flute the bellows-mender? Snout the tinker? Starveling? God’s my life! Stolen hence, and left me asleep?—I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about t‘expound this dream. Methought I was—there is no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had—but man is but a patched fool if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream. It shall be called ‘Bottom’s Dream’, because it hath no bottom, and I will sing it in the latter end of a play, before the Duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death. Exit
4.2Enter Quince, Flute, Snout, and Starveling
QUINCE Have you sent to Bottom’s house? Is he come home yet?
STARVELING He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is transported.
FLUTE If he come not, then the play is marred. It goes not forward. Doth it?
QUINCE It is not possible. You have not a man in all Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he.
FLUTE No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft-man in Athens.
QUINCE Yea, and the best person, too; and he is a very paramour for a sweet voice.
FLUTE You must say ‘paragon’. A paramour is, God bless us, a thing of naught. Enter Snug the joiner
SNUG Masters, the Duke is coming from the temple, and there is two or three lords and ladies more married. If our sport had gone forward we had all been made men.
FLUTE O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a day during his life. He could not have scaped sixpence a day. An the Duke had not given him sixpence a day for playing Pyramus, I’ll be hanged. He would have deserved it. Sixpence a day in Pyramus, or nothing. Enter Bottom
BOTTOM Where are these lads? Where are these hearts?
QUINCE Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy hour!
BOTTOM Masters, I am to discourse wonders; but ask me not what. For if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. I will tell you everything right as it fell out.
QUINCE Let us hear, sweet Bottom.
BOTTOM Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is that the Duke hath dined. Get your apparel together, good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your pumps. Meet presently at the palace; every man look o’er his part. For the short and the long is, our play is preferred. In any case let Thisbe have clean linen, and let not him that plays the lion pare his nails, for they shall hang out for the lion’s claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath, and I do not doubt but to hear them say it is a sweet comedy. No more words. Away, go, away! Exeunt
5.1Enter Theseus,
Hippolyta,
⌈
Egeus
⌉
, and
attendant lords
HIPPOLYTA
’Tis strange, my Theseus, that these lovers speak of.
THESEUS
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