Reading Help A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
In thy eye that shall appear `
` When thou wak'st, it is thy dear. `
` Wake when some vile thing is near. Exit `
` `
` Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA `
` `
` LYSANDER. Fair love, you faint with wand'ring in the wood; `
` And, to speak troth, I have forgot our way; `
` We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, `
` And tarry for the comfort of the day. `
` HERMIA. Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed, `
` For I upon this bank will rest my head. `
` LYSANDER. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; `
` One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth. `
` HERMIA. Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear, `
` Lie further off yet; do not lie so near. `
` LYSANDER. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence! `
` Love takes the meaning in love's conference. `
` I mean that my heart unto yours is knit, `
` So that but one heart we can make of it; `
` Two bosoms interchained with an oath, `
` So then two bosoms and a single troth. `
` Then by your side no bed-room me deny, `
` For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie. `
` HERMIA. Lysander riddles very prettily. `
` Now much beshrew my manners and my pride, `
` If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied! `
` But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy `
` Lie further off, in human modesty; `
` Such separation as may well be said `
` Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid, `
` So far be distant; and good night, sweet friend. `
` Thy love ne'er alter till thy sweet life end! `
` LYSANDER. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer say I; `
` And then end life when I end loyalty! `
` Here is my bed; sleep give thee all his rest! `
` HERMIA. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd! `
` [They sleep] `
` `
` Enter PUCK `
` `
` PUCK. Through the forest have I gone, `
` But Athenian found I none `
` On whose eyes I might approve `
` This flower's force in stirring love. `
` Night and silence- Who is here? `
` Weeds of Athens he doth wear: `
` This is he, my master said, `
` Despised 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. `
` Churl, upon thy eyes I throw `
` All the power this charm doth owe: `
` When thou wak'st let love forbid `
` Sleep his seat on thy eyelid. `
` So awake when I am gone; `
` For I must now to Oberon. Exit `
` `
` Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running `
` `
` HELENA. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. `
` DEMETRIUS. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus. `
` HELENA. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? Do not so. `
` DEMETRIUS. Stay on thy peril; I alone will go. Exit `
` HELENA. O, I am out of breath in this fond chase! `
` The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. `
` Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies, `
` For she hath blessed and attractive eyes. `
` How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears; `
` If so, my eyes are oft'ner wash'd than hers. `
` No, no, I am as ugly as a bear, `
` For beasts that meet me run away for fear; `
` Therefore no marvel though Demetrius `
` Do, as a monster, fly my presence thus. `
` What wicked and dissembling glass of mine `
` Made me compare with Hermia's sphery eyne? `
` But who is here? Lysander! on the ground! `
` Dead, or asleep? I see no blood, no wound. `
` Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake. `
` LYSANDER. [Waking] And run through fire I will for thy sweet `
` sake. `
` Transparent Helena! Nature shows art, `
` That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart. `
` Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word `
` Is that vile name to perish on my sword! `
` HELENA. Do not say so, Lysander; say not so. `
` What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though? `
` Yet Hermia still loves you; then be content. `
` LYSANDER. Content with Hermia! No: I do repent `
` The tedious minutes I with her have spent. `
` Not Hermia but Helena I love: `
` Who will not change a raven for a dove? `
` The will of man is by his reason sway'd, `
` And reason says you are the worthier maid. `
` Things growing are not ripe until their season; `
` So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason; `
` And touching now the point of human skill, `
` Reason becomes the marshal to my will, `
` And leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlook `
` Love's stories, written in Love's richest book. `
` HELENA. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? `
` When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? `
` Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man, `
` That I did never, no, nor never can, `
` Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye, `
` But you must flout my insufficiency? `
` Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do, `
` In such disdainful manner me to woo. `
` But fare you well; perforce I must confess `
` I thought you lord of more true gentleness. `
` O, that a lady of one man refus'd `
` Should of another therefore be abus'd! Exit `
` LYSANDER. She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there; `
` And never mayst thou come Lysander near! `
` For, as a surfeit of the sweetest things `
` The deepest loathing to the stomach brings, `
` Or as the heresies that men do leave `
` Are hated most of those they did deceive, `
` So thou, my surfeit and my heresy, `
` Of all be hated, but the most of me! `
` And, all my powers, address your love and might `
` To honour Helen, and to be her knight! Exit `
` HERMIA. [Starting] Help me, Lysander, help me; do thy best `
` To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast. `
` Ay me, for pity! What a dream was here! `
` Lysander, look how I do quake with fear. `
` Methought a serpent eat my heart away, `
` And you sat smiling at his cruel prey. `
` Lysander! What, remov'd? Lysander! lord! `
` What, out of hearing gone? No sound, no word? `
` Alack, where are you? Speak, an if you hear; `
` Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear. `
` No? Then I well perceive you are not nigh. `
` Either death or you I'll find immediately. Exit `
` `
` `
` `
` `
` <<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 III. SCENE I. `
` The wood. TITANIA lying asleep `
` `
` Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING `
` `
` BOTTOM. Are we all met? `
` QUINCE. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for `
` our `
` rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn `
` brake our tiring-house; and we will do it in action, as we `
` will `
` do it before the Duke. `
` BOTTOM. Peter Quince! `
` QUINCE. What sayest thou, bully Bottom? `
` BOTTOM. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby `
` that `
` will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill `
` himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? `
` SNOUT. By'r lakin, a parlous fear. `
` STARVELING. I believe we must leave the killing out, when all `
` is `
` done. `
` BOTTOM. Not a whit; I have a device to make all well. Write me `
` a `
` prologue; and let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm `
` with our swords, and that Pyramus is not kill'd indeed; and `
` for `
` the more better assurance, tell them that I Pyramus am not `
` Pyramus but Bottom the weaver. This will put them out of `
` fear. `
` QUINCE. Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be `
` written `
` in eight and six. `
` BOTTOM. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and `
` eight. `
` SNOUT. Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? `
` STARVELING. I fear it, I promise you. `
` BOTTOM. Masters, you ought to consider with yourself to bring `
` in- `
` God shield us!- a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing; `
` for `
` there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living; `
` and `
` we ought to look to't. `
` SNOUT. Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion. `
` BOTTOM. Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be `
` seen `
` through the lion's neck; and he himself must speak through, `
` saying thus, or to the same defect: 'Ladies,' or 'Fair `
` ladies, I `
`
` When thou wak'st, it is thy dear. `
` Wake when some vile thing is near. Exit `
` `
` Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA `
` `
` LYSANDER. Fair love, you faint with wand'ring in the wood; `
` And, to speak troth, I have forgot our way; `
` We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, `
` And tarry for the comfort of the day. `
` HERMIA. Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed, `
` For I upon this bank will rest my head. `
` LYSANDER. One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; `
` One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth. `
` HERMIA. Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear, `
` Lie further off yet; do not lie so near. `
` LYSANDER. O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence! `
` Love takes the meaning in love's conference. `
` I mean that my heart unto yours is knit, `
` So that but one heart we can make of it; `
` Two bosoms interchained with an oath, `
` So then two bosoms and a single troth. `
` Then by your side no bed-room me deny, `
` For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie. `
` HERMIA. Lysander riddles very prettily. `
` Now much beshrew my manners and my pride, `
` If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied! `
` But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy `
` Lie further off, in human modesty; `
` Such separation as may well be said `
` Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid, `
` So far be distant; and good night, sweet friend. `
` Thy love ne'er alter till thy sweet life end! `
` LYSANDER. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer say I; `
` And then end life when I end loyalty! `
` Here is my bed; sleep give thee all his rest! `
` HERMIA. With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd! `
` [They sleep] `
` `
` Enter PUCK `
` `
` PUCK. Through the forest have I gone, `
` But Athenian found I none `
` On whose eyes I might approve `
` This flower's force in stirring love. `
` Night and silence- Who is here? `
` Weeds of Athens he doth wear: `
` This is he, my master said, `
` Despised 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. `
` Churl, upon thy eyes I throw `
` All the power this charm doth owe: `
` When thou wak'st let love forbid `
` Sleep his seat on thy eyelid. `
` So awake when I am gone; `
` For I must now to Oberon. Exit `
` `
` Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running `
` `
` HELENA. Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius. `
` DEMETRIUS. I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus. `
` HELENA. O, wilt thou darkling leave me? Do not so. `
` DEMETRIUS. Stay on thy peril; I alone will go. Exit `
` HELENA. O, I am out of breath in this fond chase! `
` The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. `
` Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies, `
` For she hath blessed and attractive eyes. `
` How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears; `
` If so, my eyes are oft'ner wash'd than hers. `
` No, no, I am as ugly as a bear, `
` For beasts that meet me run away for fear; `
` Therefore no marvel though Demetrius `
` Do, as a monster, fly my presence thus. `
` What wicked and dissembling glass of mine `
` Made me compare with Hermia's sphery eyne? `
` But who is here? Lysander! on the ground! `
` Dead, or asleep? I see no blood, no wound. `
` Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake. `
` LYSANDER. [Waking] And run through fire I will for thy sweet `
` sake. `
` Transparent Helena! Nature shows art, `
` That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart. `
` Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word `
` Is that vile name to perish on my sword! `
` HELENA. Do not say so, Lysander; say not so. `
` What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though? `
` Yet Hermia still loves you; then be content. `
` LYSANDER. Content with Hermia! No: I do repent `
` The tedious minutes I with her have spent. `
` Not Hermia but Helena I love: `
` Who will not change a raven for a dove? `
` The will of man is by his reason sway'd, `
` And reason says you are the worthier maid. `
` Things growing are not ripe until their season; `
` So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason; `
` And touching now the point of human skill, `
` Reason becomes the marshal to my will, `
` And leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlook `
` Love's stories, written in Love's richest book. `
` HELENA. Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? `
` When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? `
` Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man, `
` That I did never, no, nor never can, `
` Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye, `
` But you must flout my insufficiency? `
` Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do, `
` In such disdainful manner me to woo. `
` But fare you well; perforce I must confess `
` I thought you lord of more true gentleness. `
` O, that a lady of one man refus'd `
` Should of another therefore be abus'd! Exit `
` LYSANDER. She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there; `
` And never mayst thou come Lysander near! `
` For, as a surfeit of the sweetest things `
` The deepest loathing to the stomach brings, `
` Or as the heresies that men do leave `
` Are hated most of those they did deceive, `
` So thou, my surfeit and my heresy, `
` Of all be hated, but the most of me! `
` And, all my powers, address your love and might `
` To honour Helen, and to be her knight! Exit `
` HERMIA. [Starting] Help me, Lysander, help me; do thy best `
` To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast. `
` Ay me, for pity! What a dream was here! `
` Lysander, look how I do quake with fear. `
` Methought a serpent eat my heart away, `
` And you sat smiling at his cruel prey. `
` Lysander! What, remov'd? Lysander! lord! `
` What, out of hearing gone? No sound, no word? `
` Alack, where are you? Speak, an if you hear; `
` Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear. `
` No? Then I well perceive you are not nigh. `
` Either death or you I'll find immediately. Exit `
` `
` `
` `
` `
` <<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 III. SCENE I. `
` The wood. TITANIA lying asleep `
` `
` Enter QUINCE, SNUG, BOTTOM, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING `
` `
` BOTTOM. Are we all met? `
` QUINCE. Pat, pat; and here's a marvellous convenient place for `
` our `
` rehearsal. This green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn `
` brake our tiring-house; and we will do it in action, as we `
` will `
` do it before the Duke. `
` BOTTOM. Peter Quince! `
` QUINCE. What sayest thou, bully Bottom? `
` BOTTOM. There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisby `
` that `
` will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill `
` himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? `
` SNOUT. By'r lakin, a parlous fear. `
` STARVELING. I believe we must leave the killing out, when all `
` is `
` done. `
` BOTTOM. Not a whit; I have a device to make all well. Write me `
` a `
` prologue; and let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm `
` with our swords, and that Pyramus is not kill'd indeed; and `
` for `
` the more better assurance, tell them that I Pyramus am not `
` Pyramus but Bottom the weaver. This will put them out of `
` fear. `
` QUINCE. Well, we will have such a prologue; and it shall be `
` written `
` in eight and six. `
` BOTTOM. No, make it two more; let it be written in eight and `
` eight. `
` SNOUT. Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion? `
` STARVELING. I fear it, I promise you. `
` BOTTOM. Masters, you ought to consider with yourself to bring `
` in- `
` God shield us!- a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing; `
` for `
` there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living; `
` and `
` we ought to look to't. `
` SNOUT. Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion. `
` BOTTOM. Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must be `
` seen `
` through the lion's neck; and he himself must speak through, `
` saying thus, or to the same defect: 'Ladies,' or 'Fair `
` ladies, I `
`