EGEUS My lord, this my daughter here asleep,
And this Lysander, this Demetrius is,
This Helena, old Nedar’s Helena.
I wonder of their being here together.
THESEUS No doubt they rose up early, to observe
The rite of May; and hearing our intent,
Came here in grace of our solemnity.
But speak, Egeus, is not this the day
That Hermia should give answer of her choice?
EGEUS It is, my lord.
THESEUS Go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns. (4.1.127-137)
Egeus can be embarrassed, outraged: my lord, this my daughter here asleep, and this Lysander, this Demetrius is, this Helena, old Nedar’s Helena. All four of them! (And Egeus doesn’t know the half of it, obviously, the degree to which all four of the sleeping lovers have questioned their own and each others’ identities, feelings, and intentions over the night that’s just passed, the plaintive name-calling and the less-plaintive too.) I wonder of their being here together. Bit odd. What’s going on? I love the dryness of Theseus’s response—well obviously they’ve eloped, or something, you silly old man—but no doubt they rose up early, to observe the rite of May—they too are doing the proper ceremonies for such a morning, absolutely no chance that they’ve been out all night, up to no good, given that they’re actually asleep here—and they heard we were out too and came to meet us; hearing our intent, came here in grace of our solemnity. So wholesome, so innocent! Why do you THINK they’re here, Egeus? I mean, honestly! (This is especially sarcastic if, as is often the case, the lovers have lost rather a lot of their clothes along the way. Theseus’s sarcasm is a good opportunity for a shared joke with Hippolyta too, who after all has often taken Hermia’s side against both Egeus and Theseus in the play’s opening scene.) But speak, Egeus, is not this the day that Hermia should give answer of her choice? You know, that terrible dilemma I faced her with at your request, marry the man she doesn’t love or become a nun? Today’s the day, right? It is, my lord. (And Egeus can be a bit embarrassed at this too, given the situation—or perhaps self-righteous?) Well, let’s liven things up a bit and see what’s what, suggests Theseus: go, bid the huntsmen wake them with their horns…
