LYSANDER     My lord, I shall reply amazedly,

Half sleep, half waking; but as yet, I swear,

I cannot truly say how I came here.

But as I think (for truly would I speak),

And now I do bethink me, so it is,

I came with Hermia hither. Our intent

Was to be gone from Athens, where we might

Without the peril of the Athenian law –

EGEUS Enough, enough, my lord; you have enough.

I beg the law, the law, upon his head.

They would have stolen away, they would, Demetrius,

Thereby to have defeated you and me:

You of your wife, and me of my consent,

Of my consent that she should be your wife.          (4.1.145-158)

Lysander is the presumably reluctant designated spokesperson for the lovers and he does his best: my lord, I shall reply amazedly, half sleep, half waking. Bit hazy about the details, to be honest, sir, your honour, it’s been a BIG night, but as yet, I swear, I cannot truly say how I came here. Yeah. Big night. Might have been—substances? Lots of gaps. It’s coming back to me in bits? But as I think (for truly would I speak)—I don’t want to say the wrong thing, I absolutely wouldn’t want to mislead you—and now I do bethink me, so it is—no way around just saying it, I guess, deep breath—I came with Hermia hither. There it is, in the cold light of day. We were getting out of town, running away, ‘eloping’, alright, yes. Our intent was to be gone from Athens, where we might without the peril of Athenian law—and Egeus can’t contain himself a moment longer. Enough, enough, my lord, you have enough. There you have it, out of his own mouth, I beg the law, the law upon his head. He’s splutteringly furious, repeating himself in fussy rage: they would have stolen away, they would, Demetrius—this is an insult and an outrage to you as much as to me!—thereby to have defeated you and me: you of your wife, and me of my consent, of my consent that she should be your wife! Egeus is gibbering, looking for allies, so wounded in his pride and sense of propriety that he’s not even waiting for Theseus to speak. (Theseus and Hippolyta may be exchanging amused glances, especially as Hippolyta has probably clocked more comprehensively what’s been going on, and what the current state of play is with these lovers, who’s coupled up with who.)