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    Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare)
    Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare)
    Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare)
    Ebook240 pages2 hours

    Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare)

    By SparkNotes

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    This No Fear Shakespeare ebook gives you the complete text of A Midsummer Night's Dreamand an easy-to-understand translation.

    Each No Fear Shakespeare contains

    • The complete text of the original play
    • A line-by-line translation that puts Shakespeare into everyday language
    • A complete list of characters with descriptions
    • Plenty of helpful commentary
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSparkNotes
    Release dateMay 30, 2018
    ISBN9781411479272
    Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare)

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    Reviews for Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare)

    4/5

    3,935 ratings64 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I have never read a book that would take me one day to read I thought it was pretty good. This wasn't the only book I have read from William Shakespeare I have Romano and Juliet by him once before and I am going to reread that book whenever I will get to it. This one was a 4 star from and I hope I like reading classics not just William Shakespeare but other authors who have written classic books.
    • 4/5
      As a play, this is great to watch, especially with a cast that understands the text and can play up to the brilliant comedy of Shakespeare. But, as someone who is reading it as literature, it becomes a much darker entity. From the pranks pulled on Titania, Hermia's possible sentence of death if she doesn't marry Demetrius. I was surprised at how how Shakespeare handled the tradesmen's play of Pyramus and Thisbe, Hippolyta and Theseus make gentle fun at the players. The best parts of the story really is the the play within a play - As for this specific edition - I liked the information about Shakespeare, his theater, his day to day life. It even accounts for Shakespeare's education. I found the explanation of certain phrases and words paired WITH the actual play very useful, although at times, it was more distracting than not.
    • 3/5
      Well this audio production of one of my favourite Shakespearean comedies is a mixed bag. The cast is great but some of the direction/sound choices are not so good. Any time a production writes music for one of Shakespeare's songs it has the potential to get weird and this version does for sure. And while I've listened to audio productions of plays that have significant physical comedy elements and do it well, this one missed more than a hit. It took me longer than it should have to realize that Bottom's transformation into an ass had occurred. I also think they cut down Puck's speeches, which I will never forgive as he's my favourite. Ultimately, a good play but not served well by this production.
    • 3/5
      Saw at the Young Vic, London. Haven't read this since High School, think it needs a strong production to make it really sing - the play within a play is a riot though.
    • 4/5
      It's a consistently fun romance with a larger dose of humor than some of his plays, which I appreciated.
    • 4/5
      This classic Shakespeare comedic play features two men in love with the same woman who both end up falling for another woman after Puck errs. Shakespeare, who often incorporates elements of fantasy, included faeries in the play. There's even a play within the play in this one. It's not my favorite Shakespeare play, but it's a good one.
    • 4/5
      " The course of true love never did run smooth."This is one of Shakespeare's most performed comedies and as such probably one of his best known. Consequently I'm not going to going to say anything about the plot. I personally studied this whilst at school as part of an English Literature course and despite my callow years I remember enjoying. However, I haven't read it since.Now, far too many decades later, I read Bernard Cornwell's novel 'Fools and Mortals' which centres around a speculative and fictional première of the play. Having really enjoyed reading that book decided to revisit the original. Once again I found it a highly enjoyable read which made me smile and a piece of true genius.
    • 3/5
      I've been meaning to catch up on various Shakespeare plays that "everyone" has read, and after finishing a book and having no immediate plans for what to read next, A Midsummer Night's Dream was conveniently waiting for me on my Kindle.In short, I didn't really like reading it much. I can see how it would probably work much better on stage, but read as a book it didn't really do much for me.If I ever get the opportunity to see it on stage I probably will, and I'll be prepared to be pleasantly surprised at how well it can work as a play.That said, I do enjoy poems, and I found the lyrical nature of the dialogue, the rhythm and the rhyme, to be quite fun. But as a story I just didn't really appreciate it as much as I had expected.
    • 5/5
      Read it in high school. Loved it, it was funny
    • 5/5
      Perfect comedy.
    • 4/5
      Well, what do you know? Third time wasn't the charm with this one – between reading it during my own education and with my kids for theirs, this is more like my fifth go with this play – but it's finally growing on me! I've always thought of this as “that stupid play with the lovers, the donkey, and all the irritating fairies,” but this time it seemed less stupid! I give the credit, as usual this year, to the amazing Marjorie Garber. Her essay, in Shakepeare After All, on this play was particularly good. Having just read “Romeo and Juliet” last week, I could fully appreciate the parallels she drew between the two plays, and she persuasively illustrated the ways the themes of love and envy, dreams and rationality, transformation and imagination give depth, meaning, and coherence to the play that I just hadn't seen before. The lovers are still silly and Theseus is still obnoxious, sure, but the play isn't quite the silly fluff I'd previously thought. A solid four stars.As well as Garber's book, my reading was enhanced by an audio performance from L.A. Theatre Works (2013) and the BBC's creative retelling of the play from their “Shakespeare Retold” series. The notes in the Folger Shakespeare Library (Updated) edition are quite adequate without being excessive, though in the mass market paperback edition I have the inside margin is so skimpy that the text threatens to disappear into the gutter.
    • 4/5
      The Physics of the Impossible: "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare, Burton Raffel, Harold Bloom Published 2005.

      I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the
      wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass, if
      he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was—
      there is no man can tell what. Methought I was—and
      methought I had—but man is but a patch’d fool, if he
      will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man
      hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand
      is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart
      to report, what my dream was.
      (4.1.203–212)

      (Paraphrase: I had the strangest dream. It is outside of the abilities of mankind to explain it: a man is as foolish as a donkey if he tries to about to expound this dream. Methought I was—there explain the dream of mine. I thought I was – well no one can really say what exactly. I thought I was – and I methought I had, -- but man is but a patched fool, if thought I had – but someone would be an idiot to say what I thought I had).

      I remember watching the play for the first time in Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra in 2002 (staged by Rui Mário). Shakespeare has always been an over-riding need for me. I don't have the ability to act, though I do write betimes, but there's nothing like the thrill of a life performance, like the one I watched in 2002.

      The rest of this review can be found elsewhere.
    • 4/5
      "If we shadows have offended,/Thing but this--and all is mended--/That you have but slumber'd here/While these visions did appear./And this weak and idle theme,/No more yielding but a dream,/Gentles, do not reprehend;/If you pardon, we will mend./And, as I'm an honest Puck,/If we have unearned luck/Now to' scape the serpent's tongue,/We will make amends ere long;/Else the Puck a liar call:/So, good night unto you all./Give me your hands, if we be friends,?/And Robin shall restore Amends"

      By ending the play with this quote, Shakespeare seems to leave it for us to decide whether the events that occurred in the woods, or if they were dreams. Perhaps this play is what inspired Louis Carroll and Frank L. Baum to do the same in their famous stories.

      Everything that happens in the woods is somewhat confusing--for the characters at least. We know more-or-less what is going on, being party to Puck and Oberon's doings, but, as will sometimes happen in a dream, the characters are buffeted by abrupt changes to themselves, and those they care about. One moment Demetrius is cruel to Helena, the next he loves her. At one time Lysander loves Hermia, then claims to despise her, then back again. No wonder the characters were confused. These kind of character changes only happen in dreams, or if a person is crazy.

      Every character in the play is victim to Oberon's whims, including Puck, and every character is the subject of Puck's gaffe or impishness. Oberon wants Titania's changeling. A child to whom she is attached because she was friends with his mother, and so Oberon devises a cruel game to trick Titania into giving the child to him. Along the way he decides to help Helena, but tells Puck only to find a man in Athenian clothing to enchant into love with Helena, so Puck finds Lysander, who then upsets Helena by claiming to love her, and breaks Hermia's heart. Demetrius and Lysander could have hurt one another--therefore further breaking their lady's hearts--in the turmoil that followed.

      Bottom is the subject of Titania's manipulated love and Puck's parody on the two of them. Through that the rest of Bottom's troupe is also victim, being frightened, and having their practice interrupted (maybe their play wouldn't have been so painful to read if they had been able to practice more).

      A Midsummer Night's Dream has got to be the most popular Shakespearean play there is. It's one of the one's that I became familiar with through Jim Weiss (though this is my first time reading the actual play) and it has been brought into books and movies, it has been adapted into movies. It has become a ballet via Felix Mendelssohn (part of which is a violinist's nightmare,) an opera by Benjamin Britten, and has shorter pieces written for it by Henry Purcell and Ralph Vaughn-Williams.

      (Please note that this review was written as a discussion post in an online Shakespeare class.)
    • 5/5
      Every read of this classic reveals another tongue in cheek pun. This humorous comedy of errors deals with love, romance, fairies in an enchanted forest, a traveling actors' troupe that passes itself as professional, but offers comic relief, mistaken identity, and of course parents at the crux who will not let true love have its way. Just a simple, straightforward Shakespearean tale. Enjoy!
    • 5/5
      I love sharing Shakespeare with my 5 year old. This is a very good children's version of one of my favorites. She loved it and was scolding Puck for being such a bad boy!
    • 5/5
      I have read this book twice and I really like it, it even might be my favorite among Shakespear books, for some reason the song "Strange And Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You)" Lyrics by Aqualung always reminds me of this book:

      I've been watching your world from afar
      I've been trying to be where you are
      And I've been secretly falling apart... Unseen
      To me, you're strange and you're beautiful
      You'd be so perfect with me
      But you just can't see
      You turn every head but you don't see me

      I'll put a spell on you
      You'll fall asleep
      When I put a spell on you
      And when I wake you I'll be the first thing you see
      And you'll realize that you love me

      Sometimes the last thing you want comes in first
      Sometimes the first thing you want never comes
      But I know that waiting is all you can do
      Sometimes

      I'll put a spell on you
      You'll fall asleep
      When I put a spell on you
      And when I wake you I'll be the first thing you see
      And you'll realise that you love me

      I'll put a spell on you
      You'll fall asleep
      Cause I put a spell on you
      And when I wake you I'll be the first thing you see
      And you'll realize that you love me
    • 5/5
      great!! I love this show!
    • 4/5
      While I am not a huge Shakespeare fan I did find this particular play to be pretty darn good. I enjoyed the fact that there was this mix of fantasy with ideas that we can all relate to with unrequited love. It was fascinating to see how Shakespeare made fun of his own play "Romeo and Juliet" within the story as well. There is such a great woven story here that anyone that enjoys reading plays should read this. This was another book that I had to read for my Theatre course.
    • 5/5
      Nothing is funnier than the reversal of social degrees, is it?

      C'mon, the mighty Titania falls in love with a working class sod who has the head of an ass! AND his name is Bottom!

      Shakespeare, you cheeky bastard.
    • 4/5
      Lyrical and mesmerizing! I got a dramatized audio copy of this book. It really brings this story to life!

      A very different love story for the ages. Couplings, love triangles, love quads, and love chases. It is all here. Thank you fantasy forest for all this wonderful chaos. Some parts a whimsical, others near tragic, some comedy. You never know what the next scene will hold.

      When just listening to this, it can take a bit to follow the story at first. I had no idea who anyone was and names are not mentioned enough to quickly catch on. The only indication to the setting is the sounds you here. It really is just like listening to a play. They even have a full cast for the audio so each character is voiced by someone new. While it makes it far more enjoyable it just made things take a little longer.

      I finally got to learn where several famous quotes and expressions came from. Hearing certain lines brought a smile to my face. Now I just need to read the print version of this book so I can be sure I didn't miss anything. I now have a mental soundtrack to go with it.
    • 5/5
      "The course of true love never did run smooth"; but oh my friends and neighbours, when was love ever "true"? This is the jolly cynic's Romeo and Juliet, with English country faire elements displaced to Theseus's Athens (itself a place that hardly did exist) and the mythological, metaphysical backdrop, the ridiculous-but-still-great-and-terrible Olympians, disinvited from the party in favour of the fairies, magnificent and dreadful but still ridiculous (it sounds like the same thing as the gods but it's actually the opposite): Oberon, equal parts virile intensity and cat-chasing-his-tail; Titania, majestic and intoxicating and yet you also just want to pat her on the head; Puck, with all the mystique of a trickster spirit and all the bathos of a cigar-smoking baby. Lord, what fools these immortals be!They elevate the humans as the humans drag them into the mundane, to the benefit of the action in both cases. Just a quartet of pretty young goofballs bouncing through the sacred groves on a wave of hormonal exuberance, as the rules get mixed up and upside-downed and love-potion-number-nined till it's all reduced to the lowest common denominator. Bucolic rumpus--pratfalls and sex. They seem too quick and alive for the law to catch up with them, and indeed Theseus and Hippolyta do present a fairly mellow or enlightened face on disciplining authority, as the king reassures us that EVEN IF things fall over the precipice and go all two-households-both-alike-in-dignity on us, Hermia can choose forcible cloisterment over death--but is this really such a comfort? We see Demetrius and Lysander play fistfights for laughs and never think about how close either of them is to braining himself on a rock, the other being strung up. Skulking around somewhere in the background is always the deeply unfunny Egeus, the patriarch with filicide in his fist.The estimable Bottom and his bunch of goony players (special shout out to Wall--I see you, Wall!) bring it all home by staging the tragic romance of Pyramus and Thisbe farcically for a bunch of complacent chuckleheads who don't know that they're in a play themselves, and that comedy and tragedy are a mere knife-edge apart. And ever if we manage to keep it light and nobody falls on a dagger, love fades and everyone you know will one day still certainly die. The comic dignity of the man with the donkey's head sums up the message quite nicely: The play's an ass, and it is a matter of life and death that we keep it that way. Laugh at that! No, I mean it!
    • 4/5
      Still one of my favorites, but I am reminded that some plays can be read and some are better watched. This is one that is better on the stage, but that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be experienced in some way or another. I got a little twisted up a couple times because some of the names are similar & I wasn't paying complete attention to who was supposed to be reading.
    • 4/5
      I wish I could have been more fair with my grade for this book. The concept of condensing and rewording Shakespeare's plays into a format that a much younger audience could understand is certainly valuable. This series serves the laudable purpose of introducing the Bard to an elementary age audience, the benefit of which is an even earlier exposure to good literature. I will say that this would be a middle school audience would be too old for this book as they would be ready for the real thing, or at least an unabridged translation. I would also add that the book, understandably so, didn't deal very much in nuance, or interpretations. I know that the main action in the story centers upon the young lovers in the forest, and Titania and her being bewitched to fall for Bottom by Oberon's machinations, however, there are glaring thematic omissions. The biggest of these missteps would have to be the (author's? editors?) decision not to focus upon the forest itself, specifically the fact that this isn't an ordinary forest, but rather a magical realm of fae beings. Instead of presenting the woods as being a separate world (Shakespeare's intent) its presentation was rather mundane. Furthermore, there is something to be said about promoting Puck. In this version, Puck is presented as mixing up the lovers due to carelessness rather than out of the agency of mischief. Still, the book was solid and I would recommend it to elementary classes.
    • 5/5
      It's Shakespeare. Wonderful story but I prefer his tragedies.
    • 4/5
      Hermia's father brings her before Theseus to be judged, as Hermia refuses to marry her father's choice, Demetrius. Instead she loves Lysander, who loves her back. With the threat of death if Hermia doesn't follow her father's wishes, the couple run into the woods, but are pursued by Demetrius and the girl who loves him, Helena. Also in the woods are the King and Queen of the Fairies and their followers. When the King attempts to smooth love's way for the mortals, he makes things much worse.Not one of my favorites from Shakespeare, but I can see where it would be a great choice for the stage. Romance in the forest and fairies would be difficult to resist
    • 2/5
      Far too contrived for my reading enjoyment. I'm certain that it is charming when performed on stage, but the premise wore thin upon reading. I really had no feel for the characters and cared little for their fate.
    • 4/5
      One of my favorite Shakespeare tales that give me a new laugh every time. I've re-read it and love the characters of Helena and Hermia more every time.
    • 4/5
      I was on a Shkespeare kick!
    • 5/5
      I was a stagehand for this. Incredibly fun.
    • 3/5
      While I liked the overall plot, I found this to be one of the plays in which Shakespeare's language is hard for me. I have seen some of the film versions (most notably the 1935 movie with Olivia de Havilland & Jimmy Cagney and the BBC Production with Helen Mirren as Titania) & seeing the action does help (especially in the 'humorous' parts!).One thing that I noticed in reading this was how unpleasant I found Oberon to be.

    Book preview

    Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare) - SparkNotes

    ACT ONE

    SCENE 1

    Original Text

    Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, and PHILOSTRATE, with others

    THESEUS

    Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour

    Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in

    Another moon. But oh, methinks how slow

    This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,

    5

    Like to a stepdame or a dowager

    Long withering out a young man’s 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

    10

    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.

    15

    The pale companion is not for our pomp.

    Exit PHILOSTRATE

    Hippolyta, I wooed 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 reveling.

    Enter EGEUS and his daughter HERMIA, and LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS

    EGEUS

    20

    Happy be Theseus, our renownèd 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,

    25

    This man hath my consent to marry her.—

    Stand forth, Lysander.—And my gracious duke,

    This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child.—

    Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,

    And interchanged love tokens with my child.

    30

    Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung

    With feigning voice verses of feigning love,

    And stol’n the impression of her fantasy

    With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits,

    Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats—messengers

    35

    Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth.

    With cunning hast thou filched my daughter’s heart,

    Turned her obedience (which is due to me)

    To stubborn harshness.—And, my gracious duke,

    Be it so she will not here before your grace

    40

    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

    45

    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,

    50

    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,

    55

    The other must be held the worthier.

    HERMIA

    I would my father looked 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

    60

    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

    65

    Either to die the death or to abjure

    Forever 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,

    70

    You can endure the livery of a nun,

    For aye to be in shady cloister mewed,

    To live a barren sister all your life,

    Chanting faint hymns to the cold, fruitless moon.

    Thrice-blessèd they that master so their blood

    75

    To undergo such maiden pilgrimage.

    But earthlier happy is the rose distilled

    Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn,

    Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.

    HERMIA

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

    80

    Ere I will my virgin patent up

    Unto his lordship, whose unwishèd yoke

    My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

    THESEUS

    Take time to pause, and by the next new moon—

    The sealing day betwixt my love and me

    85

    For everlasting bond of fellowship—

    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

    90

    For aye austerity and single life.

    DEMETRIUS

    Relent, sweet Hermia—And, Lysander, yield

    Thy crazèd title to my certain right.

    LYSANDER

    You have her father’s love, Demetrius.

    Let me have Hermia’s. Do you marry him.

    EGEUS

    95

    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.

    LYSANDER

    (to THESEUS) I am, my lord, as well derived as he,

    100

    As well possessed. My love is more than his.

    My fortunes every way as fairly ranked,

    (If not with vantage) as Demetrius’.

    And—which is more than all these boasts can be—

    I am beloved of beauteous Hermia.

    105

    Why should not I then prosecute my right?

    Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head,

    Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena,

    And won her soul. And she, sweet lady, dotes,

    Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry

    110

    Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

    THESEUS

    I must confess that I have heard so much

    And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof,

    But being overfull of self-affairs,

    My mind did lose it.—But, Demetrius, come.

    115

    And come, Egeus. You shall go with me.

    I have some private schooling for you both.—

    For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself

    To fit your fancies to your father’s will,

    Or else the law of Athens yields you up

    120

    (Which by no means we may extenuate)

    To death, or to a vow of single life.—

    Come, my Hippolyta. What cheer, my love?—

    Demetrius and Egeus, go along.

    I must employ you in some business

    125

    Against our nuptial and confer with you

    Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.

    EGEUS

    With duty and desire we follow you.

    Exeunt. Manent LYSANDER and HERMIA

    LYSANDER

    How now, my love? Why is your cheek so pale?

    How chance the roses there do fade so fast?

    HERMIA

    130

    Belike for want of rain, which I could well

    Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.

    LYSANDER

    Ay me! For aught that I could ever read,

    Could ever hear by tale or history,

    The course of true love never did run smooth.

    135

    But either it was different in blood—

    HERMIA

    O cross! Too high to be enthralled to low.

    LYSANDER

    Or else misgraffèd in respect of years—

    HERMIA

    O spite! Too old to be engaged to young.

    LYSANDER

    Or else it stood upon the choice of friends—

    HERMIA

    140

    O hell, to choose love by another’s eyes!

    LYSANDER

    Or, if there were a sympathy in choice,

    War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it,

    Making it momentary as a sound,

    Swift as a shadow, short as any dream,

    145

    Brief as the lightning in the collied night;

    That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and Earth,

    And ere a man hath power to say Behold!

    The jaws of darkness do devour it up.

    So quick bright things come to confusion.

    HERMIA

    150

    If then true lovers have been ever crossed,

    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,

    155

    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,

    160

    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 tomorrow night.

    165

    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,

    170

    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 burned the Carthage queen

    When the false Troyan under sail was seen,

    175

    By all the vows that ever men have broke

    (In number more than ever women spoke),

    In that same place thou hast appointed me,

    Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.

    LYSANDER

    Keep promise, love. Look, here comes Helena.

    Enter HELENA

    HERMIA

    180

    Godspeed, fair Helena! Whither away?

    HELENA

    Call you me fair? That fair again unsay.

    Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair!

    Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue’s sweet air

    More tunable than lark to shepherd’s ear

    185

    When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.

    Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor 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.

    190

    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

    195

    Oh, that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!

    HERMIA

    I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

    HELENA

    Oh, 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

    200

    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

    205

    Seemed Athens as a paradise to me.

    Oh, then, what graces in my love do dwell,

    That he hath turned a heaven unto a hell!

    LYSANDER

    Helen, to you our minds we will unfold.

    Tomorrow night when Phoebe doth behold

    210

    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

    (to HELENA) And in the wood where often you and I

    215

    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.

    220

    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.

    225

    As you on him, Demetrius dote on you!

    Exit LYSANDER

    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.

    230

    And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes,

    So I, admiring of his qualities.

    Things base and vile, holding no quantity,

    Love can transpose to form and dignity.

    Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind.

    235

    And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

    Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgment taste—

    Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.

    And therefore is Love said to

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