Midsummer Night's Dream - selected lines for acting

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM – lines chosen from the original version – first draft – 5^th May, 2017

Narrator: this play tells us the stories of many couples from the city of Athens. Theseus and Hippolyta, Oberon and Titania, Hermia and Demetrius and Helena and Lysander. The play is like a Hollywood musical full of songs and dances celebrating love.

THESEUS

Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour

Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in

Another moon

HIPPOLYTA

Four days will quickly steep themselves in night. [enter Egeus, Hermia, Demetrius]

THESEUS

Good Egeus. What’s the news with thee?

Narrator: Egeus brings his daughter Hermia and complains to Theseus that she refuses to marry the man he has chosen for her.

EGEUS

Full of vexation come I with complaint

Against my child, my daughter Hermia.

This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child. {Lysander is brought forward by Egeus]

As she is mine, I may dispose of her—

Which shall be either to this gentleman [he shows Demetrius to the audience]

Or to her death—according to our law

THESEUS

What say you, Hermia? Be advised, fair maid

HERMIA

I do entreat your grace to pardon me.

I refuse to wed Demetrius

THESEUS

If you yield not to your father’s choice,

You can endure the livery of a nun

HERMIA

So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord

THESEUS

Either prepare to die

Or else to wed Demetrius [All except Lysander and Hermia  leave the stage]

LYSANDER

If thou lovest me then,

Steal forth thy father’s house tomorrow night

To the wood, a league without the town

HERMIA

Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee. [enter Helena]

HELENA

O, teach me how you look and with what art

You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart.

HERMIA

I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

The more I hate, the more he follows me.

HELENA

The more I love, the more he hateth me.

HERMIA

Take comfort. He no more shall see my face.

Lysander and myself will fly this place. {exit Hermia and Lysander]

HELENA

But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so.

He will not know what all but he do know.

Things base and vile, holding no quantity,

Love can transpose to form and dignity.

Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind.

And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

Narrator:  A group of friends – Bottom, Quince and others are planning to put up a drama based on the  love story of Pyramus and Thisbe for the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Bottom is very excited about acting. He plays the role of the hero, Pyramus. He also acts as a lion.

Meanwhile, the king of fairies, Oberon and his queen Titania are here to celebrate the wedding. They are fighting over a small boy called Puck.

OBERON

Why should Titania cross her Oberon?

I do but beg a little changeling boy

TITANIA

The Fairyland buys not the child of me. [exit Titania. Enter Puck]

PUCK

I’ll put a girdle round about the Earth

In forty minutes.

OBERON

Fetch me that flower. Love in idleness.

The juice of it on sleeping eyelids

Will make  man or woman madly dote

Upon the next live creature that it sees

I’ll drop it on Titania’s  eyes when she is asleep.

When she wakes up—

Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull,

She shall pursue it with the soul of love.

PUCK

Fear not, my lord. Your servant shall do so.

Narrator: Lysander and Hermia run away to a forest. Helena tells this to Demetrius. He follows the lovers. Helena also goes to the forest. Now all the 4 lovers are in the forest. Helena fights with Demetrius for not loving him.

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.[ exit Helena and Demetrius]

Narrator: The fairy king Oberon watches this. He calls Puck and asks him to pour the love juice on the eyes of Demetrius so that he will love Helena.

OBERON

Fare thee well, nymph. Ere he do leave this grove,

Thou shalt fly him and he shall seek thy love. [enter Puck]

Hast thou the flower there?

PUCK

Ay, there it is.

OBERON

There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,

And with the juice of this I’ll streak her eyes.[ he gives puck some of the flowers]

A sweet Athenian lady is in love

With a disdainful youth. Anoint his eyes.

But do it when the next thing he espies

May be the lady.

PUCK

   Fear not, my lord. Your servant shall do so.[exit Puck, enter Titania]

TITANIA

Come now, a roundel and a fairy song.

Sing me now asleep.

Then to your offices and let me rest. [ Titania falls asleep]

OBERON

Wake when some vile thing is near.[ exit Oberon, enter Lysander and hermia]

LYSANDER

We’ll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good.

And tarry for the comfort of the day.

HERMIA

With half that wish the wisher’s eyes be pressed!     [ Hermia and Lysander sleep. Enter Puck]

PUCK

            Who is here?

Weeds of Athens he doth wear.

This is he, my master said,

Despisèd the Athenian maid.[ Squeezes flower juice on Lysander’s eyelids]

[Exit Puck, enter Helena and Demetrius 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 Demetrius]

HELENA

             Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies,

I am as ugly as a bear,[ Sees Lysander]

But who is here? Lysander, on the ground?

Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.

LYSANDER

(waking) And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.

Where is Demetrius? Oh, how fit a word

Is that vile name to perish on my sword!

HELENA

Do not say so, Lysander. Say not so.

Yet Hermia still loves you. Then be content.

LYSANDER

Content with Hermia? No.

Not Hermia but Helena I love.

HELENA

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?

But fare you well.[exit Helena]

LYSANDER

She sees not Hermia.—Hermia, sleep thou there.

And never mayst thou come Lysander near![exit Lysander]

HERMIA

[waking up] Lysander!—What, removed?—Lysander, lord!—

What, out of hearing, gone? No sound, no word?—

Alack, where are you?[ Hermia exits]

Narrator:[ Titania sleeps. Enter the clowns Bottom, Quince, Flute, Snug Snout and Starveling]

BOTTOM

Are we all met?

QUINCE

Pat, pat. And here’s a marvelous convenient place for our rehearsal.

BOTTOM

There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never please.

STARVELING

I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.[ enter puck unseen]

PUCK

What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here,

So near the cradle of the fairy queen?

BOTTOM

And by and by I will to thee appear.

But hark, a voice!

Stay thou but here awhile,[ exit Bottom, exit Puck]

QUINCE

Ay, marry, must you. For you must understand he goes but to see a noise that he heard, and is to come again.

FLUTE

Oh. (as Thisbe) As true as truest horse that yet would never tire.

Narrator:

Enter BOTTOM, with an ass’s head, and PUCK

BOTTOM

(as PYRAMUS) If I were fair, Thisbe, I were only thine.

QUINCE

Oh, monstrous! Oh, strange! We are haunted. Pray, masters! Fly, masters! Help![ exit Quince. Flute, Snug, Snout and Starveling]

PUCK

I’ll follow you. I’ll lead you about a round [exit Puck]

BOTTOM

Why do they run away?

TITANIA

(waking) What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

BOTTOM

[singing]

TITANIA

On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee

BOTTOM

Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that.

Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

TITANIA

Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.[ exit Titania and Bottom, enter Oberon]

OBERON

I wonder if Titania be awaked.

Then, what it was that next came in her eye,{ enter puck]

PUCK

My mistress with a monster is in love.

When in that moment so it came to pass,

Titania waked and straightway loved an ass

OBERON

This falls out better than I could devise.

But hast thou yet latched the Athenian’s eyes

With the love juice, as I did bid thee do?

PUCK

I took him sleeping—that is finished too—

And the Athenian woman by his side,

That, when he waked, of force she must be eyed.[ ENTER DEMITRIUS AND HERMIA]

OBERON

(aside to PUCK) Stand close. This is the same Athenian.

PUCK

(aside to OBERON) This is the woman, but not this the man.

HERMIA

What’s this to my Lysander? Where is he?

Ah, good Demetrius, wilt thou give him me?

DEMETRIUS

An if I could, what should I get therefore?

HERMIA

A privilege never to see me more.{ exit Hermia]

Narrator: Demetrius decides to stay there for a while and falls asleep. Oberon squeezes the flower juice into Demetrius eyes

[ enter Lysander and Helena]

LYSANDER

Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you.

DEMETRIUS

[walking] Lysander, keep thy Hermia. I will none.

If e'er I loved her, all that love is gone.

LYSANDER

Helen, it is not so[ enter Hermia]

HERMIA

why unkindly didst thou leave me so?[ to Lysander}

LYSANDER

Why seek’st thou me? Could not this make thee know

The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?

HERMIA

You speak not as you think. It cannot be.

LYSANDER

Stay, gentle Helena. Hear my excuse.

My love, my life, my soul, fair Helena!

HELENA

Oh, excellent!

HERMIA

(to LYSANDER)

Sweet, do not scorn her so.

DEMETRIUS

I say I love thee more than he can do.[ Helena, Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius exit]

Narrator: Helena and Hermia are confused whether this is for real or not meanwhile Oberon blames Puck for this confusion.

OBERON

(to Puck) This is thy negligence. Still thou mistakest,

[ gives Puck another flower] crush this herb into Lysander’s eye,

Whose liquor hath this virtuous property

To take from thence all error with his might

I’ll to my queen and beg her Indian boy.

And then I will her charmèd eye release

From monster’s view, and all things shall be peace.[ exit Oberon]

Narrator: Puck as Lysander brings Demetrius and as Demetrius Lysander and puts them to sleep. Helena  and Hermia who are also tired falls down asleep. Bottom and Titania also fall asleep.

[ enter Oberon and Puck]

OBERON

May all to Athens back again repair

And think no more of this night’s accidents

But first I will release the fairy queen.[ squeezing the flowers juice into her eyes]

Now, my Titania, wake you, my sweet queen.

TITANIA

(waking) My Oberon, what visions have I seen!

OBERON

There lies your love.

PUCK

(taking the ass’s head off BOTTOM)

Now when thou wakest, with thine own fool’s eyes peep.

[enter EGEUS and THESEUS ]

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.

THESEUS

Is not this the day

That Hermia should give answer of her choice?

EGEUS

It is, my lord.

DEMETRIUS

The object and the pleasure of mine eye,

Is only Helena. To her, my lord,

Was I betrothed ere I saw Hermia.

HELENA

   And I have found Demetrius like a jewel,

Mine own, and not mine own.

THESEUS

Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love

Accompany your hearts!

Come now, what masques, what dances shall we have

Come on Egeus, accept these lovers and be merry.

Narrator: Bottom’s group is acting a play for the wedding of Thesues and Hippolyta.  BOTTOM as PYRAMUS, and FLUTE as THISBE, and SNOUT as WALL, and STARVELING as MOONSHINE, and SNUG as LION.

This is also a love story. It is very comic. Every one laughs.

HIPPOLYTA

This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.

THESEUS

No epilogue, I pray you, for your play needs no excuse.

The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve.

Lovers, to bed. 'Tis almost fairy time.

Narrator: Bottom’s play is over and Theseus  gets married to Hippolyta. Demetrius marries Helena. Lysander marries Hermia.

Oberon and Titania sing. Puck sings too.