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Oberon: bless this house, these beds; these unions, their children (5.1.391-404) #MoonMad #SlowShakespeare

Posted on by Hester Lees-Jeffries

OBERON         Now, until the break of day,

Through this house each fairy stray.

To the best bride-bed will we,

Which by us shall blessed be,

And the issue there create

Ever shall be fortunate.

So shall all the couples three

Ever true in loving be,

And the blots of nature’s hand

Shall not in their issue stand.

Never mole, hare-lip, nor scar

Nor mark prodigious, such as are

Despised in nativity,

Shall upon their children be.            (5.1.391-404)

Oberon gives his orders: now, until the break of day, through this house each fairy stray. We’re going to go everywhere, every room, between now and daybreak. (And it’s a short night, so get cracking.) To the best bride-bed will we—Oberon and Titania are going to Theseus and Hippolyta’s bridal chamber; of course there’s a particular charge to this if they’re doubling—which by us shall blessed be. We’ll bless them in particular, and the issue there create ever shall be fortunate; our blessing will be upon their children too (the link between the marriage bed and procreation is straightforward and expected: as it is in the final stanzas of Spenser’s Epithalamion, with which Oberon’s speech, so close in date, has much in common). So shall all the couples three ever true in loving be—may they be faithful to each other (as Titania and Oberon apparently have not been—and changes of heart have marked the relationships of both the younger couples; in legend Theseus was notoriously unfaithful). And the blots of nature’s hand shall not in their issue stand. It jars to a modern ear, this passage, Oberon blessing the future children of these unions with physical beauty and ability, suggesting that they will be unmarked with what were understood as unlucky physical signs and blemishes, signs of divine disfavour and ill-fortune: never mole, hare-lip, nor scar nor mark prodigious, such as are despised in nativity, shall upon their children be. Their children will be completely, perfectly beautiful. (And there can be an added poignancy here if Oberon and Titania have with them the changeling child, at whom they are looking lovingly, together.)

View 4 comments on “Oberon: bless this house, these beds; these unions, their children (5.1.391-404) #MoonMad #SlowShakespeare”

  1. In his introduction to the 1994 Oxford edition, Peter Holland says that the son of Theseus and Hippolyta does indeed escape “the blots of nature’s hand” for, as he says, “Hippolytus was unquestionably a stereotypically gorgeous macho man”. But this results in his stepmother’s obsession with him and his death by a bull sent by Poseidon in response to Theseus cursing his son in the mistaken belief that Hippolytus had tried to rape Phaedra. “It is as if the Theseus myth of unfaithfulness and destruction has one further trick on the characters of the play”.

    On the other hand, my understanding is that in Greek mythology Theseus actually married Antiope (sister of Hippolyta) who then gave birth to Hippolytus, so perhaps Holland is putting two and two together and making five!

    Reply

    1. The version of Theseus here is very messy and composite and slanted, and so is the Theseus myth; I think there are 2 versions? (at least; his marital history is chequered and there are conflicting versions, from memory.) I think it’s fair to say that the Theseus of the play is not the dark, serial abandoner of women of myth, though – and after all, the version of the minotaur that we get is Bottom… I’m just at a conference with Peter so could have quizzed him over breakfast! but you’re right to note this.

      Reply

  2. Yes, I think there are at least 2 versions of the Theseus myth! Following the play through Slow Shakespeare, I’ve actually found him a more sympathetic character than I usually do. I haven’t really previously picked up on his attempts to form bonds with and establish a relationship with Hippolyra to which you have drawn attention. It’s made me look at him as a more nuanced character.

    Reply

    1. Me too! it’s a much better part than I remembered (as is Oberon, come to that).

      Reply

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