A Midsummer-Night's Dream Shakespeare,William,1564-1616 Clark,George William;William Aldis Wright Creation of machine-readable version:Grady Ward,Moby Lexical Project Conversion to TEI.2-conformant markup:University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center.ca.128 kilobytes This version available from the University of Virginia Library Charlottesville,Virginia Publicly accessible http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/modeng/modengS.browse.html 1998 Note:We have been unable to verify conclusively the exact source of this electronic text,but we believe it to be "The Globe Edition"of the Works of William Shakespeare edited by William George Clark and William Aldis Wright.Error checking was done against the 1866 edition noted in the "Source Description"field. These texts are public domain. About the print version A Midsummer-Night's Dream Shakespeare,William,1564-1616 Clark,William George;William Aldis Wright The Globe Edition vii,1075p.18cm. MacMillan and Co. Cambridge 1866 Print copy consulted:UVa Library,PR2753 .C6 1866 Prepared for the University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center. Published:1595-1596
A Midsummer-Night's Dream Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Clark, George William; William Aldis Wright Creation of machine-readable version: Grady Ward, Moby Lexical Project Conversion to TEI.2-conformant markup: University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center. ca. 128 kilobytes This version available from the University of Virginia Library Charlottesville, Virginia Publicly accessible http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/modeng/modengS.browse.html 1998 Note: We have been unable to verify conclusively the exact source of this electronic text, but we believe it to be "The Globe Edition" of the Works of William Shakespeare edited by William George Clark and William Aldis Wright. Error checking was done against the 1866 edition noted in the "Source Description" field. These texts are public domain. About the print version A Midsummer-Night's Dream Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Clark, William George; William Aldis Wright The Globe Edition viii, 1075 p. 18 cm. MacMillan and Co. Cambridge 1866 Print copy consulted: UVa Library, PR2753 .C6 1866 Prepared for the University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center. Published: 1595-1596
English fiction drama masculine LCSH Dramatis Personae THESEUS Duke of Athens. EGEUS father to Hermia. LYSANDER,DEMETRIUS in love with Hermia PHILOSTRATE master of the revels to Theseus. QUINCE a carpenter. SNUG a joiner. BOTTOM a weaver. FLUTE a bellows-mender. SNOUT a tinker. STARVELING a tailor. HIPPOLYTA queen of the Amazons,betrothed to Theseus. HERMIA daughter to Egeus,in love with Lysander. HELENA in love with Demetrius. OBERON king of the fairies. TITANIA queen of the fairies. PUCK or Robin Goodfellow. PEASEBLOSSOM,COBWEB,MOTH,MUSTARDSEED fairies. Other fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta. [Scene:Athens,and a wood near it.] Act 1 Scene 1 [Athens.The palace of THESEUS.] [Enter THESEUS,HIPPOLYTA,PHILOSTRATE,and Attendants] THESEUS
English fiction drama masculine LCSH Dramatis Personae THESEUS Duke of Athens. EGEUS father to Hermia. LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS } in love with Hermia. PHILOSTRATE master of the revels to Theseus. QUINCE a carpenter. SNUG a joiner. BOTTOM a weaver. FLUTE a bellows-mender. SNOUT a tinker. STARVELING a tailor. HIPPOLYTA queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus. HERMIA daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander. HELENA in love with Demetrius. OBERON king of the fairies. TITANIA queen of the fairies. PUCK or Robin Goodfellow. PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED } fairies. Other fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta. [Scene: Athens, and a wood near it.] Act 1 Scene 1 [Athens. The palace of THESEUS.] [Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants] THESEUS
Now,fair Hippolyta,our nuptial hour Draws on apace;four happy days bring in Another moon:but,O,methinks,how slow This old moon wanes!she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame or a dowager Long withering out a young man revenue. HIPPOLYTA Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time; And then the moon,like to a silver bow New-bent in heaven,shall behold the night Of our solemnities. THESEUS Go,Philostrate, Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals; The pale companion is not for our pomp. [Exit PHILOSTRATE Hippolyta,I woo'd thee with my sword, And won thy love,doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp,with triumph and with revelling. [Enter EGEUS,HERMIA,LYSANDER,and DEMETRIUS] EGEUS Happy be Theseus,our renowned duke! THESEUS Thanks,good Egeus:what's the news with thee? EGEUS
Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Draws on apace; four happy days bring in Another moon: but, O, methinks, how slow This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame or a dowager Long withering out a young man revenue. HIPPOLYTA Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time; And then the moon, like to a silver bow New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night Of our solemnities. THESEUS Go, Philostrate, Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals; The pale companion is not for our pomp. [Exit PHILOSTRATE] Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword, And won thy love, doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph and with revelling. [Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and DEMETRIUS] EGEUS Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke! THESEUS Thanks, good Egeus: what's the news with thee? EGEUS
Full of vexation come I,with complaint Against my child,my daughter Hermia. Stand forth,Demetrius.My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her. Stand forth,Lysander:and my gracious duke, This man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child; Thou,thou,Lysander,thou hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love-tokens with my child: Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung, With feigning voice verses of feigning love, And stolen the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy hair,rings,gawds,conceits, Knacks,trifles,nosegays,sweetmeats,messengers Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth: With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart, Turn'd her obedience,which is due to me, To stubborn harshness:and,my gracious duke, Be it so she;will not here before your grace Consent to marry with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, As she is mine,I may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her death,according to our law Immediately provided in that case. THESEUS What say you,Hermia?be advised fair maid: To you your father should be as a god; One that composed your beauties,yea,and one To whom you are but as a form in wax By him imprinted and within his power To leave the figure or disfigure it. Demetrius is a worthy gentleman HERMIA So is Lysander. THESEUS
Full of vexation come I, with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her. Stand forth, Lysander: and my gracious duke, This man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child; Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love-tokens with my child: Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung, With feigning voice verses of feigning love, And stolen the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats, messengers Of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth: With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart, Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me, To stubborn harshness: and, my gracious duke, Be it so she; will not here before your grace Consent to marry with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, As she is mine, I may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her death, according to our law Immediately provided in that case. THESEUS What say you, Hermia? be advised fair maid: To you your father should be as a god; One that composed your beauties, yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax By him imprinted and within his power To leave the figure or disfigure it. Demetrius is a worthy gentleman. HERMIA So is Lysander. THESEUS
In himself he is; But in this kind,wanting your father's voice, The other must be held the worthier. HERMIA I would my father look'd but with my eyes. THESEUS Rather your eyes must with his judgment look. HERMIA I do entreat your grace to pardon me. I know not by what power I am made bold, Nor how it may concern my modesty, In such a presence here to plead 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. THESEUS Either to die the death or to abjure For ever the society of men. Therefore,fair Hermia,question your desires; Know of your youth,examine well your blood, Whether,if you yield not to your father's choice, You can endure the livery of a nun, For aye to be in shady cloister mew'd, To live a barren sister all your life. Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood, To undergo such maiden pilgrimage; But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd, Than that which withering on the virgin thorn Grows,lives and dies in single blessedness. HERMIA
In himself he is; But in this kind, wanting your father's voice, The other must be held the worthier. HERMIA I would my father look'd but with my eyes. THESEUS Rather your eyes must with his judgment look. HERMIA I do entreat your grace to pardon me. I know not by what power I am made bold, Nor how it may concern my modesty, In such a presence here to plead 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. THESEUS Either to die the death or to abjure For ever the society of men. Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires; Know of your youth, examine well your blood, Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice, You can endure the livery of a nun, For aye to be in shady cloister mew'd, To live a barren sister all your life, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon. Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood, To undergo such maiden pilgrimage; But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd, Than that which withering on the virgin thorn Grows, lives and dies in single blessedness. HERMIA