Reading Help A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
BOTTOM. Let me play the lion too. I will roar that I will do `
` any `
` man's heart good to hear me; I will roar that I will make the `
` Duke say 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.' `
` QUINCE. An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the `
` Duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were `
` enough to hang us all. `
` ALL. That would hang us, every mother's son. `
` BOTTOM. I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies `
` out `
` of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang `
` us; `
` but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as `
` gently `
` as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any `
` nightingale. `
` QUINCE. You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a `
` sweet-fac'd man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer's `
` day; a most lovely gentleman-like man; therefore you must `
` needs `
` play Pyramus. `
` BOTTOM. Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to `
` play `
` it in? `
` QUINCE. Why, what you will. `
` BOTTOM. I will discharge it in either your straw-colour beard, `
` your `
` orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your `
` French-crown-colour beard, your perfect yellow. `
` QUINCE. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and `
` then `
` you will play bare-fac'd. But, masters, here are your parts; `
` and `
` I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them `
` by `
` to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile `
` without `
` the town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse; for if we `
` meet in `
` the city, we shall be dogg'd with company, and our devices `
` known. `
` In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties, such as our `
` play wants. I pray you, fail me not. `
` BOTTOM. We will meet; and there we may rehearse most obscenely `
` and `
` courageously. Take pains; be perfect; adieu. `
` QUINCE. At the Duke's oak we meet. `
` BOTTOM. Enough; hold, or cut bow-strings. Exeunt `
` `
` `
` `
` `
` <<THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM `
` SHAKESPEARE IS COPYRIGHT 1990-1993 BY WORLD LIBRARY, INC., AND IS `
` PROVIDED BY PROJECT GUTENBERG ETEXT OF CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY `
` WITH PERMISSION. ELECTRONIC AND MACHINE READABLE COPIES MAY BE `
` DISTRIBUTED SO LONG AS SUCH COPIES (1) ARE FOR YOUR OR OTHERS `
` PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND (2) ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED OR USED `
` COMMERCIALLY. PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION INCLUDES BY ANY `
` SERVICE THAT CHARGES FOR DOWNLOAD TIME OR FOR MEMBERSHIP.>> `
` `
` `
` `
` ACT II. SCENE I. `
` A wood near Athens `
` `
` Enter a FAIRY at One door, and PUCK at another `
` `
` PUCK. How now, spirit! whither wander you? `
` FAIRY. Over hill, over dale, `
` Thorough bush, thorough brier, `
` Over park, over pale, `
` Thorough flood, thorough fire, `
` I do wander every where, `
` Swifter than the moon's sphere; `
` And I serve the Fairy Queen, `
` To dew her orbs upon the green. `
` The cowslips tall her pensioners be; `
` In their gold coats spots you see; `
` Those be rubies, fairy favours, `
` In those freckles live their savours. `
` `
` I must go seek some dewdrops here, `
` And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear. `
` Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone. `
` Our Queen and all her elves come here anon. `
` PUCK. The King doth keep his revels here to-night; `
` Take heed the Queen come not 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 forests wild; `
` But she perforce withholds the loved 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 starlight sheen, `
` But they do square, that all their elves for fear `
` Creep into acorn cups and hide them there. `
` FAIRY. Either I mistake your shape and making quite, `
` Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite `
` Call'd Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he `
` That frights the maidens of the villagery, `
` Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern, `
` And bootless make the breathless housewife churn, `
` And sometime make the drink to bear no barm, `
` Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm? `
` Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck, `
` You do their work, and they shall have good luck. `
` Are not you he? `
` PUCK. Thou speakest 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 lips 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 'tailor' 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. `
` FAIRY. And here my mistress. Would that he were gone! `
` `
` Enter OBERON at one door, with his TRAIN, and TITANIA, `
` at another, with hers `
` `
` OBERON. Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania. `
` TITANIA. What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence; `
` I have forsworn his bed and company. `
` OBERON. Tarry, rash wanton; am not I thy lord? `
` TITANIA. Then I must be thy lady; but I know `
` When thou hast stolen away from fairy land, `
` And in the shape of Corin sat all day, `
` Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love `
` To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here, `
` Come from the farthest steep of India, `
` But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon, `
` Your buskin'd mistress and your warrior love, `
` To Theseus must be wedded, and you come `
` To give their bed joy and prosperity? `
` OBERON. How canst thou thus, for shame, Titania, `
` Glance at my credit with Hippolyta, `
` Knowing I know thy love to Theseus? `
` Didst not thou lead him through the glimmering night `
` From Perigouna, whom he ravished? `
` And make him with fair Aegles break his faith, `
` With Ariadne and Antiopa? `
` TITANIA. These are the forgeries of jealousy; `
` And never, since the middle summer's spring, `
` Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, `
` By paved fountain, or by rushy brook, `
` Or in the beached margent of the sea, `
` To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind, `
` But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our sport. `
` Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain, `
` As in revenge, have suck'd up from the sea `
` Contagious fogs; which, falling in the land, `
` Hath every pelting river made so proud `
` That they have overborne their continents. `
` The ox hath therefore stretch'd his yoke in vain, `
` The ploughman lost his sweat, and the green corn `
` Hath rotted ere his youth attain'd a beard; `
` The fold stands empty in the drowned field, `
` And crows are fatted with the murrion flock; `
` The nine men's morris is fill'd up with mud, `
` And the quaint mazes in the wanton green, `
` For lack of tread, are undistinguishable. `
` The human mortals want their winter here; `
` No night is now with hymn or carol blest; `
` Therefore the moon, the governess of floods, `
` Pale in her anger, washes all the air, `
` That rheumatic diseases do abound. `
` And thorough this distemperature we see `
` The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts `
` Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose; `
` And on old Hiems' thin and icy crown `
` An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds `
` Is, as in mockery, set. The spring, the summer, `
` The childing autumn, angry winter, change `
` Their wonted liveries; and the mazed world, `
` By their increase, now knows not which is which. `
` And this same progeny of evils comes `
` From our debate, from our dissension; `
` We are their parents and original. `
` OBERON. Do you amend it, then; it lies in you. `
` Why should Titania cross her Oberon? `
` I do but beg a little changeling boy `
` To be my henchman. `
` TITANIA. Set your heart at rest; `
` The fairy land buys not the child of me. `
` His mother was a vot'ress of my order; `
` And, in the spiced Indian air, by night, `
` Full often hath she gossip'd by my side; `
` And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands, `
`
` any `
` man's heart good to hear me; I will roar that I will make the `
` Duke say 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.' `
` QUINCE. An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the `
` Duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were `
` enough to hang us all. `
` ALL. That would hang us, every mother's son. `
` BOTTOM. I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies `
` out `
` of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang `
` us; `
` but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as `
` gently `
` as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any `
` nightingale. `
` QUINCE. You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a `
` sweet-fac'd man; a proper man, as one shall see in a summer's `
` day; a most lovely gentleman-like man; therefore you must `
` needs `
` play Pyramus. `
` BOTTOM. Well, I will undertake it. What beard were I best to `
` play `
` it in? `
` QUINCE. Why, what you will. `
` BOTTOM. I will discharge it in either your straw-colour beard, `
` your `
` orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your `
` French-crown-colour beard, your perfect yellow. `
` QUINCE. Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and `
` then `
` you will play bare-fac'd. But, masters, here are your parts; `
` and `
` I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them `
` by `
` to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile `
` without `
` the town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse; for if we `
` meet in `
` the city, we shall be dogg'd with company, and our devices `
` known. `
` In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties, such as our `
` play wants. I pray you, fail me not. `
` BOTTOM. We will meet; and there we may rehearse most obscenely `
` and `
` courageously. Take pains; be perfect; adieu. `
` QUINCE. At the Duke's oak we meet. `
` BOTTOM. Enough; hold, or cut bow-strings. Exeunt `
` `
` `
` `
` `
` <<THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM `
` SHAKESPEARE IS COPYRIGHT 1990-1993 BY WORLD LIBRARY, INC., AND IS `
` PROVIDED BY PROJECT GUTENBERG ETEXT OF CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY `
` WITH PERMISSION. ELECTRONIC AND MACHINE READABLE COPIES MAY BE `
` DISTRIBUTED SO LONG AS SUCH COPIES (1) ARE FOR YOUR OR OTHERS `
` PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND (2) ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED OR USED `
` COMMERCIALLY. PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION INCLUDES BY ANY `
` SERVICE THAT CHARGES FOR DOWNLOAD TIME OR FOR MEMBERSHIP.>> `
` `
` `
` `
` ACT II. SCENE I. `
` A wood near Athens `
` `
` Enter a FAIRY at One door, and PUCK at another `
` `
` PUCK. How now, spirit! whither wander you? `
` FAIRY. Over hill, over dale, `
` Thorough bush, thorough brier, `
` Over park, over pale, `
` Thorough flood, thorough fire, `
` I do wander every where, `
` Swifter than the moon's sphere; `
` And I serve the Fairy Queen, `
` To dew her orbs upon the green. `
` The cowslips tall her pensioners be; `
` In their gold coats spots you see; `
` Those be rubies, fairy favours, `
` In those freckles live their savours. `
` `
` I must go seek some dewdrops here, `
` And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear. `
` Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone. `
` Our Queen and all her elves come here anon. `
` PUCK. The King doth keep his revels here to-night; `
` Take heed the Queen come not 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 forests wild; `
` But she perforce withholds the loved 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 starlight sheen, `
` But they do square, that all their elves for fear `
` Creep into acorn cups and hide them there. `
` FAIRY. Either I mistake your shape and making quite, `
` Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite `
` Call'd Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he `
` That frights the maidens of the villagery, `
` Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern, `
` And bootless make the breathless housewife churn, `
` And sometime make the drink to bear no barm, `
` Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm? `
` Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck, `
` You do their work, and they shall have good luck. `
` Are not you he? `
` PUCK. Thou speakest 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 lips 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 'tailor' 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. `
` FAIRY. And here my mistress. Would that he were gone! `
` `
` Enter OBERON at one door, with his TRAIN, and TITANIA, `
` at another, with hers `
` `
` OBERON. Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania. `
` TITANIA. What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence; `
` I have forsworn his bed and company. `
` OBERON. Tarry, rash wanton; am not I thy lord? `
` TITANIA. Then I must be thy lady; but I know `
` When thou hast stolen away from fairy land, `
` And in the shape of Corin sat all day, `
` Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love `
` To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here, `
` Come from the farthest steep of India, `
` But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon, `
` Your buskin'd mistress and your warrior love, `
` To Theseus must be wedded, and you come `
` To give their bed joy and prosperity? `
` OBERON. How canst thou thus, for shame, Titania, `
` Glance at my credit with Hippolyta, `
` Knowing I know thy love to Theseus? `
` Didst not thou lead him through the glimmering night `
` From Perigouna, whom he ravished? `
` And make him with fair Aegles break his faith, `
` With Ariadne and Antiopa? `
` TITANIA. These are the forgeries of jealousy; `
` And never, since the middle summer's spring, `
` Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, `
` By paved fountain, or by rushy brook, `
` Or in the beached margent of the sea, `
` To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind, `
` But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our sport. `
` Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain, `
` As in revenge, have suck'd up from the sea `
` Contagious fogs; which, falling in the land, `
` Hath every pelting river made so proud `
` That they have overborne their continents. `
` The ox hath therefore stretch'd his yoke in vain, `
` The ploughman lost his sweat, and the green corn `
` Hath rotted ere his youth attain'd a beard; `
` The fold stands empty in the drowned field, `
` And crows are fatted with the murrion flock; `
` The nine men's morris is fill'd up with mud, `
` And the quaint mazes in the wanton green, `
` For lack of tread, are undistinguishable. `
` The human mortals want their winter here; `
` No night is now with hymn or carol blest; `
` Therefore the moon, the governess of floods, `
` Pale in her anger, washes all the air, `
` That rheumatic diseases do abound. `
` And thorough this distemperature we see `
` The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts `
` Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose; `
` And on old Hiems' thin and icy crown `
` An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds `
` Is, as in mockery, set. The spring, the summer, `
` The childing autumn, angry winter, change `
` Their wonted liveries; and the mazed world, `
` By their increase, now knows not which is which. `
` And this same progeny of evils comes `
` From our debate, from our dissension; `
` We are their parents and original. `
` OBERON. Do you amend it, then; it lies in you. `
` Why should Titania cross her Oberon? `
` I do but beg a little changeling boy `
` To be my henchman. `
` TITANIA. Set your heart at rest; `
` The fairy land buys not the child of me. `
` His mother was a vot'ress of my order; `
` And, in the spiced Indian air, by night, `
` Full often hath she gossip'd by my side; `
` And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands, `
`