A Midsummer-Night's Dream Shakespeare,William,1564-1616 Act 1 Scene 1 [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. Upon that day either prepare to die For disobedience to your father's will, Or else to wed Demetrius,as he would:
A Midsummer-Night's Dream Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Act 1 Scene 1 [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. …… Upon that day either prepare to die For disobedience to your father's will, Or else to wed Demetrius, as he would;
Or on Diana's altar to protest For aye austerity and single life DEMETRIUS Relent,sweet Hermia:and,Lysander,yield Thy crazed title to my certain right LYSANDER You have her father's love,Demetrius; Let me have Hermia's:do you marry him. EGEUS Scornful Lysander!true,he hath my love, And what is mine my love shall render him. And she is mine,and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius. [Exeunt all but LYSANDER and HERMIA] … HERMIA If then true lovers have been ever cross'd, It stands as an edict in destiny: Then let us teach our trial patience, Because it is a customary cross, As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs, Wishes and tears,poor fancy's followers. LYSANDER A good persuasion:therefore,hear me,Hermia I have a widow aunt,a dowager Of great revenue,and she hath no child: From Athens is her house remote seven leagues; And she respects me as her only son. There,gentle Hermia,may I marry thee; And to that place the sharp athenian law Cannot pursue us.If thou lovest me then, Steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night; And in the wood,a league without the town, Where I did meet thee once with Helena, To do observance to a morn of May, There will I stay for thee. HERMIA My good Lysander! I swear to thee,by Cupid's strongest bow. By his best arrow with the golden head, By the simplicity of Venus'doves, By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves, And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage queen, When the false Troyan under sail was seen
Or on Diana's altar to protest For aye austerity and single life. DEMETRIUS Relent, sweet Hermia: and, Lysander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right. LYSANDER You have her father's love, Demetrius; Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him. EGEUS Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love, And what is mine my love shall render him. And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius. [Exeunt all but LYSANDER and HERMIA] …… HERMIA If then true lovers have been ever cross'd, It stands as an edict in destiny: Then let us teach our trial patience, Because it is a customary cross, As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs, Wishes and tears, poor fancy's followers. LYSANDER A good persuasion: therefore, hear me, Hermia. I have a widow aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and she hath no child: From Athens is her house remote seven leagues; And she respects me as her only son. There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee; And to that place the sharp Athenian law Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me then, Steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night; And in the wood, a league without the town, Where I did meet thee once with Helena, To do observance to a morn of May, There will I stay for thee. HERMIA My good Lysander! I swear to thee, by Cupid's strongest bow, By his best arrow with the golden head, By the simplicity of Venus' doves, By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves, And by that fire which burn'd the Carthage queen, When the false Troyan under sail was seen
By all the vows that ever men have broke, In number more than ever women spoke, In that same place thou hast appointed me, To-morrow truly will I meet with thee. LYSANDER Keep promise,love.Look,here comes Helena [Enter HELENA] HERMIA God speed fair Helena!whither away? HELENA Call you me fair?that fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair:O happy fair! Your eyes are lode-stars;and your tongue's sweet air More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear, When wheat is green,when hawthorn buds appear. Sickness is catching:O,were favour so, Yours would I catch,fair Hermia,ere I go; My ear should catch your voice,my eye your eye, My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody. Were the world mine,Demetrius being bated, The rest I'd give to be to you translated. O,teach me how you look,and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius'heart. HERMIA I frown upon him,yet he loves me still. HELENA O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill! HERMIA I give him curses,yet he gives me love. HELENA O that my prayers could such affection move! HERMIA The more I hate,the more he follows me. HELENA The more I love,the more he hateth me. HERMIA His folly,Helena,is no fault of mine. HELENA None,but your beauty:would that fault were mine! HERMIA Take comfort:he no more shall see my face; Lysander and myself will fly this place Before the time I did Lysander see, Seem'd Athens as a paradise to me:
By all the vows that ever men have broke, In number more than ever women spoke, In that same place thou hast appointed me, To-morrow truly will I meet with thee. LYSANDER Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena. [Enter HELENA] HERMIA God speed fair Helena! whither away? HELENA Call you me fair? that fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair: O happy fair! Your eyes are lode-stars; and your tongue's sweet air More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear, When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. Sickness is catching: O, were favour so, Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go; My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye, My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody. Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, The rest I'd give to be to you translated. O, teach me how you look, and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart. HERMIA I frown upon him, yet he loves me still. HELENA O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill! HERMIA I give him curses, yet he gives me love. HELENA O that my prayers could such affection move! HERMIA The more I hate, the more he follows me. HELENA The more I love, the more he hateth me. HERMIA His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine. HELENA None, but your beauty: would that fault were mine! HERMIA Take comfort: he no more shall see my face; Lysander and myself will fly this place. Before the time I did Lysander see, Seem'd Athens as a paradise to me:
O,then,what graces in my love do dwell, That he hath turn'd a heaven unto a hell! LYSANDER Helen,to you our minds we will unfold: To-morrow night,when Phoebe doth behold Her silver visage in the watery glass, Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass, A time that lovers'flights doth still conceal, Through Athens'gates have we devised to steal. HERMIA And in the wood,where often you and I Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie, Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet, There my Lysander and myself shall meet; And thence from Athens turn away our eyes, To seek new friends and stranger companies. Farewell,sweet playfellow:pray thou for us; And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius! Keep word,Lysander:we must starve our sight From lovers'food till morrow deep midnight. LYSANDER I will,my Hermia.[Exit HERMIA]Helena,adieu: As you on him,Demetrius dote on you! [Exit] HELENA How happy some o'er other some can be! Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that?Demetrius thinks not so; He will not know what all but he do know: And as he errs,doting on Hermia's eyes, So I,admiring of his qualities: Things base and vile,folding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity: Love looks not with the eyes,but with the mind; And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind: Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste; Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste: And therefore is Love said to be a child. Because in choice he is so oft beguiled. As waggish boys in game themselves forswear, So the boy Love is perjured every where: For ere Demetrius look'd on Hermia's eyne, He hail'd down oaths that he was only mine; And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt
O, then, what graces in my love do dwell, That he hath turn'd a heaven unto a hell! LYSANDER Helen, to you our minds we will unfold: To-morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold Her silver visage in the watery glass, Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass, A time that lovers' flights doth still conceal, Through Athens' gates have we devised to steal. HERMIA And in the wood, where often you and I Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie, Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet, There my Lysander and myself shall meet; And thence from Athens turn away our eyes, To seek new friends and stranger companies. Farewell, sweet playfellow: pray thou for us; And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius! Keep word, Lysander: we must starve our sight From lovers' food till morrow deep midnight. LYSANDER I will, my Hermia. [Exit HERMIA] Helena, adieu: As you on him, Demetrius dote on you! [Exit] HELENA How happy some o'er other some can be! Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so; He will not know what all but he do know: And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes, So I, admiring of his qualities: Things base and vile, folding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity: Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind: Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste; Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste: And therefore is Love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft beguiled. As waggish boys in game themselves forswear, So the boy Love is perjured every where: For ere Demetrius look'd on Hermia's eyne, He hail'd down oaths that he was only mine; And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt
So he dissolved.and showers of oaths did melt. I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight: Then to the wood will he to-morrow night Pursue her;and for this intelligence If I have thanks,it is a dear expense: But herein mean I to enrich my pain, To have his sight thither and back again. [Exit] Act2 Scene 1 [Enter DEMETRIUS,HELENA,following him] DEMETRIUS I love thee not,therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander and fair Hermia? The one I'll slay,the other slayeth me. Thou told'st me they were stolen unto this wood: And here am I.and wode within this wood. Because I cannot meet my Hermia. Hence,get thee gone,and follow me no more. HELENA You draw me,you hard-hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron,for my heart Is true as steel:leave you your power to draw, And I shall have no power to follow you. DEMETRIUS Do I entice you?do I speak you fair? Or,rather,do I not in plainest truth Tell you,I do not,nor I cannot love you? HELENA And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel;and,Demetrius, The more you beat me,I will fawn on you: Use me but as your spaniel,spurn me,strike me, Neglect me,lose me;only give me leave, Unworthy as I am,to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love,-- And yet a place of high respect with me,-- Than to be used as you use your dog? DEMETRIUS Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; For I am sick when I do look on thee. HELENA And I am sick when I look not on you. DEMETRIUS
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt. I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight: Then to the wood will he to-morrow night Pursue her; and for this intelligence If I have thanks, it is a dear expense: But herein mean I to enrich my pain, To have his sight thither and back again. [Exit] Act 2 Scene 1 [Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA, following him] DEMETRIUS I love thee not, therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander and fair Hermia? The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me. Thou told'st me they were stolen unto this wood; And here am I, and wode within this wood, Because I cannot meet my Hermia. Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more. HELENA You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart Is true as steel: leave you your power to draw, And I shall have no power to follow you. DEMETRIUS Do I entice you? do I speak you fair? Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth Tell you, I do not, nor I cannot love you? HELENA And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you: Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love, -- And yet a place of high respect with me, -- Than to be used as you use your dog? DEMETRIUS Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; For I am sick when I do look on thee. HELENA And I am sick when I look not on you. DEMETRIUS